


Once Upon A December

by TheLastSonata



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, Private Investigators
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 61,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8388964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLastSonata/pseuds/TheLastSonata
Summary: I'm an idiot. I'll admit that. It had been a mistake to even dream I would make it as a Private Eye in the middle of Manhattan. Rising Arc Investigations is going under, and it's not like a princess is about to waltz through my door…





	1. Chapter 1

It was my least favourite time of the month. The time of the month where I was barely able to drag myself out of bed. But, as pleasant as it would have been, the inevitable couldn’t be avoided. Inevitable was the right word to use. There were two… three things that were certain in life: Death, taxes, and bills. The last was the reason my hand hovered over the door handle to my office.

It had been a day to remember when the words were finally stencilled onto the tinted glass. It made it official. _Rising Arc Investigations_ was off the ground. I’d thought it would be so easy. Well, not easy, but with a lot of hard graft I’d thought I’d be able to go it alone. Make a name for myself. Become a big shot. It just hadn’t been the case, and cases were what I needed. So far there had been close to none.

Screwing up my eyes, I pushed open the door, hoping beyond hope I wouldn’t hear the scrape of envelopes behind it. It was a futile wish. There came the familiar scratching of paper on carpet. Inevitable, like I’d said. Letting out a sigh, I took in the damage.

It could have been worse. There were only four pieces of mail on the floor. The two covered in unrealistic pictures and slogans could be discounted. The other two envelopes were plain brown apart from the large red letters: _Overdue, Final Notice_.

Guys shouldn’t cry. I knew that. But I couldn’t help the tightness around my eyes or the catch in my throat. It was the frustration more than anything. The dream I’d harboured for as long as I could remember was coming crashing down around me. It was just so pointless. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t make it work.

“Fuck!” I slammed the door hard enough that it shook dust—probably asbestos—from the tiles overhead. The little motes drifted through the rays of light that filtered between the slats of the blinds. There was no reason to raise them. It wasn’t like anyone else was going to see the inside of my office today. Swearing didn’t help. Half of me wanted to punch something; the other half thought it would be a good idea to just lie down on the floor. I met myself half way.

The leather chair swallowed my body as I slumped down into it. Just like the door, I’d been so pleased with how the office had turned out; it was exactly like those noir films. I’d even found an oak desk. That it was third-hand didn’t matter in the slightest. It looked good. It looked professional. It looked as if I wasn’t a kid playing at being a detective.

Well, not quite a kid. I’d done my apprenticeship, gone to college, got the licence. But a fat lot of good that was doing me now. The interest on loans was just another thing strangling me. I couldn’t stomach the bills right now. At least not in this state. One of the oak drawers held my salvation. The bottle wasn’t as heavy as I would have liked, but that it sloshed was all that mattered.

The glass from yesterday was dirty. Washing up was just another thing I couldn’t be bothered to do. It seemed pointless. Something to do when you actually had to impress someone. The two fingers of whisky lasted a single swallow. It burned angrily on the way down. The drink was rough, unrefined ̶ ̶ the sort to be drunk from a brown paper bag ̶ ̶ but you got what you paid for. I poured another two fingers. It was just as well the clock on the wall had stopped working.

My head sank into my hands and I blew out a breath. Pretty soon I would have to admit defeat. It was only a matter of time. There just wasn’t work for a private eye in New York. Or at least not one like me. The business I had always dreamed of owning was going under.

Taking out more loans wasn’t an option. And under absolutely no circumstances was I going to ask my family or friends for help. Not when I’d have to bear ‘I told you so’ from every direction. The annoying thing was they all had. They had all warned me how difficult it would be. How much I would struggle to find cases.

There was work. In the middle of New York of course there was. Port’s had been busy most of the time. I just wasn’t. I’d had a handful of cases that had justified my decision to go it alone—ones where I’d helped people—and I’d had several more which made me want to throw up. Cases like those were ones I would have liked to say were beneath me but, right now I would have killed to have an infidelity case walk through my door. No matter how it was dressed up, accepting those made me a professional pervert. There was no other way to describe taking photos of two people having sex through a grimy motel window. Those cases could only be forgotten in the shower, but they paid the bills. Or at least they had.

Downing my third glass before nine AM, I finally had enough liquid courage to run my finger under the top of the first envelope. The big numbers in red were just as bad as I’d feared. $272. A chuckle escaped my throat. They were barking up the wrong tree if they wanted that much. It had been a mistake renting a self-storage unit to hold all the evidence and records anyway. The filing cabinets there were filled with cobwebs. At the moment all the unit really contained was some old junk that I hadn’t managed to squeeze into my tiny apartment. The self-storage company would have to take that and call it quits. They could auction it off on one of those shows.

The other bill marked overdue couldn’t be so easily dealt with. My office wasn’t exactly on the top floor of a skyscraper in Tribeca, but the rent was still a lot. There wasn’t any other choice when trying to start a business in New York; I had to be near my potential customers.

The caretaker was a good guy ̶ ̶ he’d even given me the odd free meal from his sushi shop across the street ̶ ̶ but that didn’t matter when my landlord’s office was in one of those fancy glass towers. I’d only been there once. To say I didn’t fit in didn’t quite cut it. No one who worked in an office like that would care about any sob stories. The bottom line was all that mattered.

My gaze bored holes in the outstanding balance. I’d reached a crossroads. One I’d been running from for far too long. It was time to man up and make a decision. I could either try and scrape together another month’s rent, or admit defeat. Admit that I’d been wrong to follow my dreams.

Time ticked by as I mulled over the decision. Outside the window life moved on. New York rocked. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. I loved the noise. I loved the smells. I loved the organised chaos. I loved the people. It wouldn’t be so bad to join them on the commute to their corporate offices, would it? Maybe in ten years or so I could try again. Ten years of doing a job I didn’t want; I couldn’t crawl back to Port.

All I had to do was find the courage to finally hang up everything I had worked so hard for. To face my friends and have them laugh. My situation wasn’t going to magically turn around. Real life didn’t work like that. It wasn’t a fairy tale.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Hello?” The voice was tentative, as if the speaker wasn’t sure if they were in the right place. It wasn’t surprising really. The drawn blinds and dim room hardly screamed open for business.

“Hold on a sec.” I jumped up from my seat, the floor swayed beneath me and I had to stead myself on my desk. I might have gone slightly overboard on my liquid breakfast. Opening the door, my heart fell. My visitor was definitely in the wrong place. No one who looked like that came here. Not when they were hot enough to make smoke alarms go off.

To say the woman looked out of place in the grimy corridor was an oversimplification in the extreme. Her immaculate white business suit was the cleanest thing I’d seen all week. It was expensive too. Probably more expensive than my month’s rent and that wasn’t including the stilettos or clutch bag. Few could have pulled off a white business suit with her colouring, especially when it showed skin in all the right places, but she managed it. Her pale flesh made her look like a porcelain doll. To top it all off, her hair was peroxide white, but it didn’t seem lifeless. There was the very real chance that was her natural hair colour.

Using every facet of my deductive abilities, I came to one conclusion. The woman liked white. Like, really liked it. Like, had an unhealthy obsession with it. Still, it worked for her. It worked for her a lot. She was, if my groin had anything to say about it, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in the flesh.

If she had one imperfection, one tiny facet of her appearance that stood out from the norm, it was the scar over her eye. It looked old and she hadn’t attempted to cover it up. She almost commanded everyone to look at it and dare to judge her. Just like a beauty spot, she used it to enhance herself.

It was only when the woman cleared her throat did I realise I’d been staring. The corridor became very warm.

“Umm… can I help you?”

“I would hope so.”

 _Come on…_ I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. No one who looked like her should have voice like that. To balance the scales she should have sounded like a troll, instead she could probably sing opera if she wanted to. Some people just won the genetics lottery and then the Powerball on top of it.

Her accent was weird. As if she’d spent her life travelling around, picking up a bit here and there. It was entirely unique. It would take a team of linguistic professors a couple of months to unravel. All I knew was that the woman wasn’t from around here.

“I’m looking for Rising Arc Investigations. I guess I found it.” She nodded at the door.

“Umm… yeah. I guess you did.” I coughed. _Business face Jaune._ “I mean, hello, I’m Jaune Arc, Private Investigator.” I thrust out my hand. She looked down her nose at it, no doubt picking out all the minuscule stains and pieces of dirt.

“You seem…” she looked into the darkened office, “busy. Maybe I should come back later.”

“No. No.” I dropped my hand, wiping it surreptitiously on my jeans. If the woman left I would never see her again. “Please come in. Sorry about this. I was… out. On a case.” _Yes_ , make it seem like I wasn't completely and utterly desperate.

“Hmm… I suppose I did come all this way.”

“Absolutely.” My mouth was dry. The woman had almost got away. “Please take a seat.”

Take a seat… in the office that I hadn’t seen the point of tidying. The immaculately attired woman was less than impressed. I couldn’t do much in a few seconds, but I tried. Throwing open the blinds and the windows, I rushed to clear the stuffy air. The woman had paused before the desk, her gaze on the envelopes and the whisky. Swallowing heavily, I swept the envelopes into an open drawer, and hid the bottle and glass there a moment later, but the damage had already been done.

“I think I should try somewhere else.”

“No!” I said forcibly enough to make the woman jump. That was interesting… possible domestic abuse. Maybe that was why she was here. “Sorry. I know this doesn’t look good, but please, just take a chance. You won’t regret it. I promise. What have you got to lose?” Asked yesterday, I would have insisted my pride couldn’t bend enough to allow me to beg. Faced with the prospect of losing a client, it was made of rubber.

“Quite a lot actually.”

As perfect as the woman looked, she was in trouble.

“And I can help. Ten minutes. Just tell me. I’ll be honest. If I can’t help I’ll say. But I’ll probably be able to. Despite all this,” I gestured at the office, “I’m actually good at what I do. Please.” I was begging in earnest now. The woman stared straight into my eyes, evaluating. I bit my lip. I had said my piece.

“Fine.”

A weight fell from my shoulders. “Thank you. Please sit.” The woman did just that. Lowering herself into the chair with more grace than I could ever muster. “Do you want some coffee?”

“No.” The answer came immediately.

“Yeah. Maybe for the best.” I chuckled. It came out as a pale imitation of a laugh. Grime sat around the top of the mugs. I sat behind my desk. “I don’t think I caught your name.”

“It’s Weiss.”

Weiss… that was… unusual. I don’t think I had ever encountered it before.

“Right Weiss, how may I help you?” I took out a notepad and pencil. A proper investigator’s notepad. That at least made me look professional.

“I was robbed.”

That wasn’t what I had expected. Someone like Weiss, my instincts had screamed infidelity. An idiot husband who didn’t know how freaking lucky he was to have a wife like that. It had only been supported by the lack of a ring on those slender fingers.

“You or your property?”

The perfect line of Weiss’ eyebrow rose. I tried not to smile too much. I was good at this.

“My property. My apartment.”

“Have you gone to the police?”

“Yes. But, shall we say, I am less than confident in their abilities.” That set my jaw. Weiss didn’t know it, but she had just insulted a lot of people I knew on the force.

“They’re very good you know.”

“Maybe. But several of my friends have been robbed as well. The police haven’t caught the burglar yet.”

“Burglar? As in one?”

“I believe so. He leaves a calling card.”

 _A calling card._ This was getting interesting. “Can I see it?”

“The police have the original, but there’s a picture on here.” Weiss dug a small USB with a snowflake on it from her clutch bag.

Her fingertips brushed my palm. They were ice cold, uncomfortably so. My skin tingled, though that might have just been my libido. We didn’t get along. It had been far too long.

I loaded up the pictures on my laptop. Just like Weiss had said it was a like a business card. Completely blank apart from what looked like a wolf’s head and three claw marks in red. It drew a blank in my memory.

“And he left one of these at each of your friends’ places?”

“Yes. He seems to be a very prolific.”

“So what did he take?”

“There’s a list on there as well.”

 _Some cash, necklaces, earrings, a few USBs, a music box, a diamond tiara._ Judging by Weiss’ clothes, they probably weren’t imitation diamonds.

“What was on the USBs?”

Weiss shrugged. “Just research.”

“So no sex tapes then?” In that moment I made another deduction about Weiss. She didn’t appreciate jokes. At least not my ones.

“No.” Her voice was completely deadpan. He scowl almost flayed me. Her nails were probably capable of doing so.

“Right.” Best just to move. Yang might have been proud, but I had rather put my foot in it. “So you want me to get this stuff back?”

“Preferably, but I’m largely ambivalent about most it. I want you to find my music box.”

Now that Weiss mentioned it, it had been rather different from the rest of list. There were pictures of that too. Small figurines of a man and a woman were locked in an eternal embrace on a dancefloor of glittering gold and green. The countless jewels screamed extravagance, but staring at the image I got the strangest sense of déjà vu.

“Have I seen this before?”

“Quite possibly, if you watched cartoons.”

“What?”

“Anastasia. You know, the animation. This is the music box that was presented to Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna. She was a distant relative.”

“You’re Russian?” That at least explained part of the accent. Now thinking back, I could pick up certain strains. Another thought hit me. “And royalty?”

Weiss gave a small smile. “Not anymore. And as I said, distant relative.”

“Still… shouldn’t I be bowing or something?”

Weiss laughed. My eyes flicked to the window. No pigs glided between the skyscrapers. It had really happened. It might have been quiet and for less than a heartbeat, but I had definitely heard it. “I don’t usually require it.”

“So you want me to get the music box back?”

“Yes.”

“It must be worth a fortune.” Several fortunes at least.

“Probably.” Weiss seemed nonplussed. It had been clear before that she came from money.

“Isn’t it insured?”

“Of course it is. But… it was gift from my mother.” There was a finality to the way Weiss said it. A finality that I recognised.

“I’m sorry.” The words were out of my mouth before I’d even taken the time to think. It was society’s expectations that I answer that way. It was what you were meant to say wasn’t it? I’m sorry. It was meant to make it all better. To alleviate the guilt. A quick apology that didn’t matter in the slightest, and then you could carry on with your life.

One of the few times I had seen Ruby truly angry was when I said them to her after her mom passed. She had rounded on me. Told me she had heard those words a hundred times a day. That they’d never helped. Never made her feel any better. Never stopped the pain. All they’d done was remind her of who she had lost, and of who she would never see again. She’d broken down again after that. I had held her until she’d stopped crying, but I’d somehow forgotten the lesson.

“It was a long time ago.” Weiss turned her head and looked out the window. I took the coward’s way out and stared at my desk. I didn’t want to see her pain. Time helped, but only slightly. Ruby still missed her mom, and evidently so did Weiss.

I’ve always been a sucker for damsels. I can’t help it. It’s what happens when you grow up with seven sisters. Women were my kryptonite. All one had to do was come in here and start crying and saying no became impossible, even if they couldn’t pay. Ruby laughs at me for that, but I can’t help it. Of course Weiss didn’t cry, but it didn’t matter. I didn’t have a choice. “I’ll help you.”

It wasn’t just because Weiss was the first person to walk through my door in fortnight. There was a connection between us. Maybe one I was imagining, but I felt her grief. Her sadness. I would have helped Weiss even if I’d had a dozen different cases waiting. Weiss was hurting, even if she tried not to show it. I couldn’t imagine losing something my mom had given me if she’d passed. It would have torn me apart.

Weiss smiled then. It didn’t match the rest of her exemplary appearance. It didn’t show her perfectly white teeth. In fact it was a little more than an upturn of the corners of her lips. It wasn’t a showy smile, one which would grace the cover of a magazine, but somehow it seemed more genuine.

“Thank you.” Weiss’ voice was light and heartfelt.

I nodded. The smile and the sincere gratitude were likely as much to blame as the alcohol for the warmth spreading to my cheeks. I might have been a sucker for damsels, but it didn’t mean I could take their gratitude tastefully. I can read people. It’s one of my talents. Weiss didn’t seem like one to trust easily, and yet here she had. Despite all the reasons I had given her to walk straight out the door.

For that, she deserved the truth. “I want to be honest with you though. I might not be able to find anything. If the police can’t, I’m not sure how much more I can do.”

“I understand. I can only ask that you do your best.”

“Of course I will. You can rely on that.” I’d never half-assed anything. Well, apart from homework. But who had the time for that?

I stared into Weiss’ eyes. They were striking. Not only because of the intensity of their colour, but because of the intelligence behind them. They smouldered. Weiss seemed to be looking straight into me and whatever lay beyond.

I coughed, breaking eye contact. Sitting across from someone like Weiss really wasn't doing my head any favours. It was the alcohol. Yeah, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Before I got distracted again, there was one final point to settle. Perhaps the most important. At least for Rising Arc Investigations.

“Of course, there’s my fee.” I let the word hang. No one wanted to talk about money.

“Naturally.” Weiss opened her white leather clutch bag, the clasp snapping crisply. She slid a cheque across the desk.

I forgot how to swallow and choked on the phlegm that had gone down the wrong pipe. My eyes watered and my face went red. After a pair of hacking coughs ̶ ̶ which caused Weiss to look away distastefully ̶ ̶ I managed to drag down a breath. I double checked the number written on the thin strip of paper and then compared it against the words. There was no doubt. _Fifteen thousand dollars only._

 _Only._ That was more than I’d made in the last month. Hell the last two months. I would be able to pay off my rent, most of my bills, my debts. Maybe I would even be able to go out for a meal with my friends once in awhile instead of begging off, saying I was too busy with work. It didn’t fool them, but it saved me some face.

“I trust that it suffices for an advance.” _Advance?_  “I’ll pay you another thirty five when you are successful.”

It was only through sheer force of will that I didn’t descend into another coughing fit. Regardless, it was close. Fifty thousand dollars. Fifty thousand dollars! It was clear Weiss was rich, but still. To try and save my business, I had lowered my rates to forty-five dollars an hour plus expenses. It would take… you do the math. It would take me an awful lot of cases to earn that much. Months and months of lurking in motel parking lots.

Instead, this job was one that didn’t make my skin crawl. It was what I’d imagined my life would be like as a PI. Beautiful clients, noble causes. It could be the start of something bigger. Surely Weiss had friends just like her. She could spread the word around her social circles. It could save me. But it still didn’t feel right.

Weiss was offering to pay far more than was required. Far, far more. I’d have taken the case for a fraction of that cheque. Even with my dire financial straits, I’m not a cheat. I have morals. Taking a deep breath, and well aware of how stupid this was, I pushed the cheque back.

“I can’t accept that.” A part of me couldn’t believe what I was saying. “It’s far too much.”

“Nonsense.” Weiss’ fingers met my own on the cheque. They were still cold, but Weiss didn’t appear to be in any discomfort. She wasn’t shivering or hugging her jacket to herself. At least I had an answer now. No doubt growing up in Russia had hardened her to the whims of the temperature. “A service is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. I am willing to pay that.”

“I can’t.” I pushed back on the cheque.

Weiss’ brow darkened. “This conversation is boring me.” Her native accent became more dominant in the lilting tone of her voice. It scared me a bit. I’ll admit that. It conjured up recollection of Russian mobsters and secret agents from the films. “You will accept that. Or I will leave. Your decision.”

As ultimatums go, it wasn’t a harsh one. There were no car batteries or wood chippers involved, but it was still a threat. It was funny really. Weiss was threatening me to take far more money than I thought I deserved. The other option was to receive nothing at all.

I looked into Weiss’ face. There was no give there. Absolutely none. A stone would have had more. She was a person used to getting her own way. If my moral code had been stronger, I might have said no, but it wasn’t. I’d satisfied myself by alerting Weiss, and relented with a nod. After all, I would like to eat tonight.

“Good.” Weiss pushed the cheque towards me one last time. “Don’t worry. You will earn it.” She checked her phone. “Do you need anything else from me to get started? I have an appointment at eleven.”

I pushed myself up. Of course I looked like a puppet with knotted strings compared to her grace. “Nope.” I tried to keep my voice light to dispel the tension that our altercation had set into the air. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Excellent. Here’s my card.” It was pure white. What a shock. Weiss’ name was at the top. _Schnee._ As in _snow_ unless my high school German was failing me. No wonder Weiss had a predilection with white. _Actually her first name_. I looked up, unable to fully hide my grin.

Weiss gave a sigh of long suffering. “Yes I know. You can say it if you want, but only this one time.”

I couldn’t resist. “Your name’s White Snow.”

“Yes. I have no idea what was going through my parents’ heads.”

“It suits you.” The words escaped from my mouth before they’d passed my brain. I always did that. Talked before thinking. It had gotten me in a fair bit of trouble at school. Neither teachers nor bullies appreciated it. Nor girls who were so far out of my league they may have been on another planet. Although… it was probably my imagination and crotch working in concert, but I was sure a hint of colour flared into Weiss’ cheeks. They definitely weren’t as pale as they had been before.

“I suppose. Unless you live in Germany for most of your childhood that is.”

Another part of the enigma fell. It explained another part of her accent. Russia, Germany. Where else? No wonder Weiss spoke in a unique way in what must have been at least her third language.

“Still. At least they got the worst out the way when they named my sister.” Her mouth curled again and her eyes lit up. Properly lit up. Even though I wasn’t in on the joke, I smiled anyway, showing her some of the famous Arc charm. It didn’t work. Surprise, surprise. I waited, but no explanation came.

“Who is named?” I led.

Weiss opened her mouth before closing it again. “Nope. It can be a test of your investigatory skills. Just promise not to laugh too much.” The delicate lines of her cheeks had drawn up into dimples as she tried to live up to her own words. Damn it. She had dimples as well.

The change in Weiss’ mood had thrown me somewhat off-balance. At first Weiss had been distant, cold. Frigid even. A stern business woman. But now, caught up in the humour, she’d changed. Some of her perfect poise had evaporated. It made her seem more real. Alive.

“I won’t.”

“I doubt that somehow.” She actually grinned at me. After all the sleepless nights staring at the bills floating before my eyes, it felt good to laugh. Weiss had helped with the money, but it still took two to share. “Just never mention it to her face. Not if you like yours how it is. Now I really must be going.”

“Oh.” I had forgotten that was why we were standing. I’d been having too much of a good time with a girl I’d just met… who was client. Mixing business and pleasure was like gasoline and a spark. It’s only going to end badly. Not that it was even an option. Yeah, that’s why I didn’t say more. Business. “Of course. I’ll get right on it.”

“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you Mr Arc. I’ll admit I wasn’t certain when I walked in here, but you’ve managed to do a very rare thing and change my first impression. Now I can only hope that you’ll live up to it.”

“I will.” I didn’t want to say I would get Weiss’ music box back, but I’d try my best. I always do. I walked Weiss to the door, well aware of the stains on the carpet under Weiss’ snow white stilettos.

“It was nice to meet you Jaune. Keep me informed.”

“Definitely. As soon I find out anything.” Or even sooner, part of me argued. The part that would be of zero help solving this case, but was getting more of a vote with every passing second. I hate my body sometimes. It’s dumb.

“Udači Jaune. It’s Russian for good luck.” She added at my puzzled frown.

“Oh, right. Thank you.”

“Goodbye.”

“See you then.”

Weiss looked back once as she walked down the corridor. I blushed when she did. I hadn’t seen Weiss from behind before. It should have been illegal for her to wear such a tight skirt.

It was relief when Weiss entered the elevator. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts or at least trying to. Weiss might have had a great ass but, more importantly, I had a case. Rising Arc Investigations was on the prowl once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Perhaps it took longer than I would have liked to admit to stop staring after Weiss. The subtle hint of her perfume still hung in the air. Lavender and something else, maybe jasmine. It intoxicated my senses. Half of me thought it would be a very good idea to sprint down the stairs and invent an excuse just to talk to Weiss again. That half of me didn’t get out very much.

I took one last breath of her perfume and slunk back into my office. It smelt of her, but the open windows were doing their best to overpower the scent with car fumes from the road below. The pollution was preferable. It might get me high, but at least I’d be able to think about more than my crotch.

I needed to. Weiss’ check still sat on my desk. I picked it up, held it to the light, rubbed it between my fingers. It didn’t feel like fifteen grand. Not that I knew what that was meant to feel like. Heavier maybe?

Still, judging by my luck, I wouldn’t be surprised if it bounced. If Weiss and her story was just an elaborate prank. It was too good to be true. Just when I had no options left, a beautiful woman walks into my office with a truckload of money? It just felt wrong. Surely Yang would soon send me a YouTube link with my face on the thumbnail. Still, there was the smallest chance that Weiss was on the level. That she wasn’t too good to be true. And in that case, I had work to do.

Weiss’ business card wasn’t much help. It was farfetched to even call it such. It contained nothing more than her name and a generic email. _WeissSchnee1@gmail.com_. Unless someone else’s parents were needlessly cruel, I was willing to bet who owned _WeissSchnee@gmail.com._

I would have liked to say that it was unusual for people not to trust me. But it wasn’t. Hiring a private investigator still wasn’t considered an above-board move. At least Weiss hadn’t done the whole hat, scarf, and sunglasses inside routine, but she had established her boundaries, and I would respect them.

Caffeine was my friend, dirty mug or no. I needed something to counteract the whisky. Weiss might be a too good to be true enigma, but I had the most important tool in an investigator’s repertoire: Google. People didn’t realise how much information they put online and made publically available. Cheating husbands would upload geotagged photos of their food while they were on an illicit date. They’d leave their fitness apps logged in and connected. Hell, some people would fish for likes while doing the dirty. Here’s a tip, if you’re cheating on your spouse, don’t friend the person you’re cheating with. Or actually do. It makes my job much easier.

Weiss hadn’t made those mistakes. A name unique as hers should have brought her Facebook straight up. It didn’t. Either she didn’t have one, or she had actually read the privacy agreement. Yeah… like that ever happened. She wasn’t famous. That was something of a surprise. I would have expected someone looking like her to have had a modelling or acting career. Apparently she didn’t unless she used a pseudonym. Or maybe Weiss was a pseudonym? That was possible. I still couldn’t understand why two sane people would choose to call their daughter ‘White Snow’. Pretty name or no. It made her sound like a Disney character.

Google had failed me. I went deeper. Most of my work was done from behind my desk. Telephone directories, business listings, as the searches continued to return nothing, the check began to seem more insubstantial. I definitely needed to cash it before I did any more work. Though then again, it wasn’t like I actually had pressing things to do. Not if you didn’t count sitting and playing Overwatch.

It was only when I was searching a database of NGOs did the mystery begin to unravel. A hit. _Clearwater Prospects_ , and guess who was listed as its founder? If anything that made Weiss even more improbable. On top of everything else, she worked for a charity. Could she get any more perfect?

It was a worthwhile charity too judging by the website. The staff weren’t named, and it had been founded fairly recently, but their mission—in slightly less flowery terms—was to ensure all people living in the city and eventually the world had access to safe and clean tap water. With situations like Flynt and the government still doing nothing about it, any extra pressure on the authorities was welcome. There was sure to be a giant class-action lawsuit coming up. Maybe Weiss was looking to muscle in on the action.

The name of her charity managed to unearth a few more articles. Most vague with a few mentions of good deeds. One even named Weiss, though it was from such a small local newspaper it had probably appeared on page gazillion of Google. She seemed as elegant as ever in the interview, spouting pretty words about why she had founded the charity. Maybe it was sincere, maybe not, but I filed it all away in my head.

Even with her charity, no amount of Google-fu was able to unearth the name of her sister. I’d failed Weiss’ first test, but I’d found out a lot more than she had bargained for. Or, then again, maybe that had been another exercise for my skills. Trust someone like her to be that confusing.

As much as I wasn’t willing to go out on a limb, Weiss seemed real, and if she was real, so was her case. I flexed my fingers, cracking them over my keyboard, resisting the urge to add a small kick to my cold coffee.

I brought up the picture of the calling card again. I still didn’t recognise it at all. The blood red skull and claw marks were intimidating enough. If their goal had been to intimidate presumably—hopefully—single women after they had been robbed, they were probably successful.

No combination of claw, skull, red, and other identifiers brought up anything remotely useful. Coming up blank, I kicked back in my chair, running my hands through my hair. It needed a trim, but I had better things to spend my money on. Like food. Slightly more important, even if mom wouldn’t agree.

Though it was a godsend for people like me, Google wasn’t the be all and end all. Sometimes detective work required a more personal touch. All good detectives built up a network of informants, and I was no exception—though most of mine weren’t in darkened alleyways. I dumped the photos onto my phone and headed out of the door.

My thumb hovered over the Uber app before I pocketed my phone. Until Weiss’ check cleared, I couldn’t afford to run up any unnecessary expenses. It was a nice day anyway, and a walk would fill my quota of exercise. Maybe even get Ruby and Yang to stop trying to drag me to the gym.  

Even after rush hour the air was filled with honks and I had to dodge past people on the sidewalks. It was a different crowd than it would have been an hour ago. Few wore suits. Now it was cougar hour. Well, cougars and crack heads. I’m not sure which I preferred. Probably the addicts. Some of the soccer moms were bored and they let me know it. I steered well clear of them. I’d been on one side of an affair enough times to realise I didn’t want to be on the other. You never knew when a pervert was going to push a camera against the window.

It took about half an hour to get to my destination. I could have got their faster, but I had to stop to pick up vital supplies. It was very unwise to enter this particular building unprepared. It always made me nervous. Mostly because I didn’t always enter through the front, or have a choice in the matter. A hazard of the job really.

I pushed on the shield engraved in the glass of the door and stepped into the air-conditioned lobby. A dozen sets of eyes swivelled towards me. Most idle, bored. Waiting out here was almost as bad as waiting in the back. I recognised the set of eyes behind the desk though. Who’d have thought? Two pieces of luck in one day. Karma seemed to be having a vacation.

I sidled up to the desk. I would have liked to say the man in uniform behind it didn’t narrow his eyes when he saw my expression. I couldn’t. Sometimes trouble followed me around. It wasn’t like it was my fault, but somehow I’d acquired a reputation.

“Hey Ren. They got you stuck on desk duty again?”

“Don’t you know it? Penance for a past life I’m sure.” He accepted my fist bump. Not all cops are assholes. In fact a minority are and they gave the rest a bad name. Unfortunately I knew some of them too. “What brings you here? Let me guess, you want something?”

I slapped my hand to my heart and staggered back opened mouthed. The epitome of acting, that’s me. “How could you suggest such a thing? You wound me sir.”

Not all cops are assholes, but most don’t have a sense humour. At least not when they’ve been sat behind a desk dealing with people like me for seven hours. Ren just stared. I hated when he did. He was far too good at it. He could even stop Nora in her tracks from a dozen paces. Well, maybe not if she’d had some Mountain Dew.

I dropped the dramatics. “Ok, maybe this isn’t just a social call.”

“Who’d have guessed?” Ren rolled his eyes. “So what trouble are you in now?”

See? Reputation. Entirely unearned in my opinion.

“None actually.” I shouldn’t have sounded as pleased about that as I did. “Is Ruby around?”

Ren smiled. “Probably. Her shift doesn’t start for another twenty minutes, but she usually gets here early.” I’d known that, and he knew, I’d known. “She does have a cell you realise? You haven’t lost her number again have you?”

You drop one cell phone in the toilet and you never live it down. I should never have told anyone. I could have been mugged while saving a box full of puppies. Slightly more heroic, if less believable. “I haven’t, but I wanted to see her.” I jostled the brown paper bag in my hand.

“Oh… so that’s why you’re here.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” He didn’t mean ‘nothing’. “Give me a few moments.” Ren picked up a desk phone and dialled a few different numbers. “She’s on her way down.”

“Thanks. How’s the D&D campaign coming along? We still on for Saturday?”

Ren might not have looked the part, and he might have been a man of few words, but put him in a cloak and he changed. Gone was the mild mannered police officer, in his place stood Xuthos the legendary Game Master. Feared and worshipped in equal measure for his dastardly creations.

Ren bowed his head, his voice growing dramatic, wiser, like a wizard’s. He didn’t do a half bad Gandalf impression actually. “Darkness rises in the north. Will you be there to stop it Ser Knight?”

That’s me. Jaune Arc, Paladin. Bringer of justice and order. Saver of damsels and slayer of monsters. I even have the breastplate and sword. It’s more fun when you can dress up.

“Of course. No evil shall stand before the light.” We got some funny looks from the other people in the waiting room. Oh well. We’re nerds. Sue us. We’d been playing more D&D of late. It was one of the few things that didn’t cost money. My friends didn’t say that was why, but I appreciated it all the same. They were good people. One and all.

“What’s this?” A black head of hair with red highlights appeared at my shoulder. The hair belonged to Ruby Rose. My best friend for as long as I can remember. And before you ask like everyone else, no, we’re not an item, and no, we’ve never been an item. We’re just friends, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.

“Evil’s afoot.” I kept my voice serious.

“Evil’s always afoot. I don’t know why it doesn’t just take the bus.”

Wow. That joke was something. And not something good. It took a moment for Ruby to process what she’d said. Mortified was the right word for her expression.

“God. I didn’t just say that. I’m sorry. Please don’t tell Yang.”

If Ruby had one downside it was her sister and her bad jokes. They somehow managed to spread by osmosis. It wouldn’t be long before we were all infected with corrupted senses of humour.

“We won’t.” Ren nodded sagely. “As long as you bring a pack of beer on Saturday.” It wasn’t much of a fine. We all chipped in. Even me, when I could.

“Deal,” Ruby said. Her cheeks glowed bright red. They matched her hair. She didn’t look much like your average cop. Not a muscle-bound brute or overweight patrolman. She was slight, five-six tops. Most criminals would look at her and discount her as threat, gun or no.

They learnt the hard way. You didn’t become a black belt in Sambo by collecting bottle caps. Ruby could kick most people’s asses up one side of the street and down the other. I should know. Occasionally I’d be brave or foolish enough to accept her offer to visit the local dojo. She said she was doing it for my own good. Yeah right. Unless my own good was being slammed to the mat time and time again.

“So why are you here anyway?” Ruby stood on the balls of her feet. She always did that, even if she didn’t notice. She was permanently ready for action. It was what made her such a good cop. It had always been her dream to join the force, and she had done it. The uniform suited her. “Are you in trouble?”

“Why does everyone think that?” I sighed.

“Because it’s normally true.” The grin didn’t quite take the sting from her words. She was only teasing as a best friend could. “So spill.”

“Have you got somewhere where we can talk in private?”

Ruby rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “Yeah… not in trouble.” She looked around. “That room’s free. Come on.”

I followed her through the sea of legs. It was unfair how some people glared at her. It wasn’t her fault that they were stuck in this building. She was only doing her job. Cops got a bad rap. Most people only dealt with them in times of stress. Either when they or someone they knew had been arrested, or when they’d been a victim of a crime and couldn’t understand why the cops hadn’t put the entire CSI:NY team on it. I’d thought about being a cop. It wasn’t for me. I wasn't strong enough. Ruby was though. She was strong enough for three people.

She led me into the small room off to the side and drew the blinds as I closed the door. She leant up against the table. “Ok… what’s up?”

I smiled, showing my teeth. “Have I ever told you what a wonderful person you are?”

It was a good thing I was between her and the door, otherwise she would have just walked out. Not that I could have stopped her if I’d wanted to. Barred from a quick escape, she sighed. “I have a feeling I’m about to hear it.”

“Well it’s true. You’re the most wonderful person in the entire world. And such a wonderful person deserves gifts.” I brandished my brown paper bag under her nose. “I brought your favourite.”

She extracted the box of strawberries from within. As I’d mentioned, it was always wise to pick up supplies before coming to the station. A little good will never hurt anyone. The strawberries were plump and ripe. You could count that as another bit of luck. I wasn’t looking forward to when I encountered the other side of Miss Fortune.

Ruby’s brow furrowed as she glared at me. “You do know I could write you up for bribing a police officer?”

“Bribing? So you’re accepting it.”

“Absolutely not.” Her stern tone was ruined by the fact it was coming from around the strawberry already in her mouth. “That would be illegal.” She offered me one. We’d taken part in this game enough times to know how it would play out. The fruit practically burst in my mouth, a wave of sweetness. “So why am I not accepting a bribe?”

I swallowed. “I’ve got a case.”

Ruby lit up. Practically literally. She seemed to glow. I hadn’t been lying when I said she was wonderful person. She was happier for me than I was. “That’s fantastic Jaune.”

One of the perks—or downsides depending on how you look at it—of being a best friend, was the other half feels they can confide in you. Ruby was the only person who knew just how badly my business had been going. She’d tried everything to help, even offering money. I hadn’t accepted it. I couldn’t.

Ruby threw her arms around me. My family had been huggers, but not like hers. She had it down to an art. Even her body armour didn’t detract from the hug. Sure, some macho men might have said it was for pansies, but they didn’t know what they were missing. Being hugged by a friend who cared about you was one of the most special feelings in the world.

I hugged her back. The top of her head only came up to my chin. Her hair smelt like strawberries. No surprise there. We were an odd friendship. We didn’t look like we would suit each other, but we did somehow, and I was eternally grateful for it.

We broke apart naturally. We understood each other’s rhythms. When holding on would just become awkward.

“So tell me, what is it?” I could almost see her vibrating from her empathic joy. The best of people.

“It’s a big one. Like, really big.” Her eyes widened at that. She didn’t mean it. It hurt just a little bit. She was surprised it wasn’t just another low-level infidelity case. I couldn’t blame her really. She only had previous evidence to go on.

“Well don’t leave me hanging.”

“Ok… so I’m sitting in my office,” Not drinking of course. My recent breakfast habits were something I hadn’t shared with her. I didn’t need the antagonism or the judgement. “And you’ll never believe who knocked on my door. Seriously, think supermodel, just without the effort.” Even now I didn’t know if I’d just been imagining Weiss. No one could be that perfect. ‘And she had white hair, like Elsa.”

“So she was hot?” Ruby asked with a grin

That was why Ruby was my best friend. I could talk to her about hot girls and it wasn’t weird in the slightest.

“Yeah. She was hot.” That was definitely one way of putting it. “And she was rich. I’m talking seriously rich. As in she probably spent more on her shoes than I do on my apartment. And you should have seen her eyes. They looked like contact lenses. I’ve never seen anyone with eyes that blue.”

Ruby tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “She sounds perfect for you.”

“Yeah… wait, what?”

“Did you ask her out?”

“No. God no.” What was Ruby thinking? “I wouldn’t have a hope in hell with someone like that. She would have laughed in my face.”

Ruby bit her lower lip. “Jaune, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re a better catch than you think you are. Most girls would be only too happy to call you their boyfriend.”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. It was true Ruby told me that a lot, but she hadn’t seen Weiss. If she had she would have joined me in laughing. Regardless, as usual Ruby was just being herself. Far too nice. If I really was such a catch, why was I always the one who had to make the first move? I wasn’t some hunk who women always threw themselves at. Instead I was an awkward, slightly gangly, nerd. Not exactly prime boyfriend material.

“Come on Ruby, you know that’s not true.” I wished it was. I wish I had someone to go back to after a hard day’s work. To listen to me complain and to offer support. Sure, Ruby did that, but it just wasn’t the same. She had her own apartment, her own life. She didn’t need me dragging her down twenty-four-seven.

Ruby sighed. “I know things are a bit difficult at the moment, but you need a more positive outlook. At least when it comes to yourself. Jaune, you’re nice, you’re funny, and I know if I ever need help you’ll be there for me. You’re a good guy Jaune, however you see yourself. Perhaps you should come to dojo with me on Friday. I’ve told you how much it would help if you got fit. I mean actually got into a routine. There’s a beginner’s class I’m helping teach. Why don’t you just try it? You’ll have fun.”

For as long as I could remember Ruby had been trying to get me involved in martial arts. I’d tried. It just wasn’t for me. She didn’t seem to get that. That something which worked for her might not work for someone else. She didn’t understand just how hard it was to find the energy to put on a robe and get beaten up after a day’s work.

“Maybe.” I couldn’t have been very convincing judging by how her face sank. Maybe I should. Just this once. I hated upsetting her. Ruby and sadness went together like chalk and cheese. They just shouldn’t mix. “Anyway, she’s a client. It would have been unprofessional.”

“True, but that’s not the reason you didn’t ask her.” Just like that Ruby cut through my excuse. We both knew it. We could have argued some more, but neither of us wanted to ruin the morning. “So what’s this mysterious beauty’s name?”

“Weiss. Weiss Schnee.”

“Weiss Schnee?” Ruby half closed her eyes. “Doesn’t that mean?”

“Yep.” Ruby tried not to burst out laughing. It was a close run thing, and as she normally did she managed to set me off. “White Snow.”

“She sounds like a Disney character or something.” See? I’d told you.

“Funny you should mention that… you know Anastasia, the animation?” Ruby nodded. “Well Weiss just happens to be related to her.”

“Wow. So she’s a princess?”

“I don’t think so. She said distant relative. And anyway, you know what happened to the Tsar.”

“But she has royal blood?”

“I guess.”

“So you had a real-life princess in your office, and you didn’t ask her out?” She was teasing me this time.

“You’re not going to let this drop are you?”

“Nope,” she said the word in the way she always did, where she refused to acknowledge the existence of an alternative. “Not until you at least ask her. You can wait until she’s all grateful. What have you got to lose? The worst case scenario is she says ‘no’. It’s not the end of the world Jaune.”

Not much to lose, apart from my dignity. That was in mere shreds as it was anyway. I could appreciate why Ruby was making an effort, even if I couldn’t appreciate her making it. She was just concerned for me as usual.

“I’ll think about it.” I’m sure I would. No doubt Weiss would be paying a visit to my dreams at some point. She’d made that much of an impression.

“Good.” I’m not sure it was possible for Ruby to look any smugger than she did in that moment. She’d won and she knew it. “So why did she hire you?”

“So Anastasia, right? You remember the music box in it? Weiss got burgled and wants me to get it back.”

“The music box? That’s a real thing?”

“Yep.”

“Are you sure she’s not a princess?”

“Fairly. But take a look.” I scrolled to the photos of the box and passed my phone to Ruby.

“Damn… It’s beautiful. It must be worth a fortune.”

“Apparently it is. Not that I think Weiss has much of a concept of money.”

Ruby paused for a moment her eyes lost in the beauty, before she spoke. “Jaune… no offense, but if it’s worth that much why did she come to you? I mean, surely she should have gone to the police.”

No offence. It’s funny how people always say that immediately before saying something that will offend you. It’s like ‘I’m not racist, but…’ There was always a ‘but’. Ruby didn’t mean to offend me—she had at least been honest in why she had said it—but it didn’t stop it hurting. I forced a smile. I had asked the same question after all.

“She’s gone to the police, but that’s actually why I’m here. Apparently the guy who did this is rather prolific. He leaves a calling card. Just scroll over. I was hoping you’d be able to help me out.”

Ruby thumbed over and her eyes widened. “It’s one of these?”

“You recognise it?” This had been a long shot, but I’d taken the chance and it had paid off. I almost punched the air.

“Yeah.” Ruby passed my phone back and stood up, straightening her bullet-proof jacket. “I can’t help.” She looked just past my ear as she spoke.

I moved back into her line of sight. “Why? You recognised it.”

“I don’t want anything to do with this.”

“What?” Ruby had managed to create space between us without moving.

“I can’t help you Jaune. I’m sorry.” She sounded it.

“Why?” I crossed my arms. It wasn’t like Ruby to just clam up like this. “You always have before.”

“This isn’t like before,” she snapped at me. Actually snapped. “This is organised crime. The feds are involved. And that means I don’t want to be.”

The feds. I hadn’t quite expected it to be this serious. Though if people like Weiss were getting burgled I shouldn’t have been surprised it was getting more attention than your standard petty theft. Still, I needed something. “Come on Ruby. Just do this one thing for me.”

I knew the moment I finished speaking it was the wrong thing to say. Ruby’s lips drew into a thin, pale line.

“Do this one thing for you?” she growled. “After everything I’ve done? How many times have I risked my job running licence plates? You did realise I’d be fired if anyone found out right? I knew that, but I still did it because I wanted to help you.”

“I know, but—”

Ruby cut across me, her hands clenched into fists. “Oh, but that’s not enough. I told you the feds were involved and you still asked. I can’t believe you. They’d arrest me the moment I stuck my head through the door. Do this one thing for you?” Her body trembled. “Tell you what Jaune, fuck you!”

She thrust her way past me, her shoulder ramming into my own. It hurt, and she’d meant it to.

“Ruby, stop!” I chased her out into the waiting room. Everyone around no doubt appreciated the drama to lift the tedium. Ruby shrugged away from my fingers. Without slowing down or even looking around, she stormed towards the nearest restricted door and slammed it right in my face.

 


	3. Chapter 3

I watched through the glass as Ruby gradually got further and further away from me. Her fury was evident in every one of her strides. She wasn’t a person who got angry that often, but when she did she was scary. That’s what happens when you’re capable of snapping someone in half with your bare hands. At the moment, it didn’t take a detective to guess who she was imagining beneath her fists.

The other thing I knew about people who didn’t get angry easily was that, when they did, they were usually fully justified. This was one of those times. My own brief flash of anger had been doused by shame. I couldn’t bear Ren’s reproachful stare. I knew who he thought was the instigator. I slunk from the building before I did anything else stupid.

Damn it. Just when life had been on the rise, I’d managed to fuck it all up in less than an hour. Ruby had been angry. Properly angry. And hurt. And it was all my fault. I deserved everything that was coming to me.

I was glad I had such a long walk home. It would give me plenty of time to reflect on what a despicable person I was. I hadn’t thought about the risk to her. Not really. I’d been focussed on my cases, trying to survive. I hadn’t thought about what I was asking Ruby to do. She’d been right. It would have cost her job, and quite possibly landed her in prison where _piggies_ don’t do well. I’d done the same here, again. I’d seen her as a source, nothing more. I’d ‘paid’ her, and I’d wanted information in return. I couldn’t believe I was even capable of doing that to my friend.

She was a cop through and through. It had never been princesses or housewives for Ruby. She’d always pictured her future-self in a uniform just like her mom and dad’s. It was what she’d worked so hard for. Studied for. Exercised for. The day when she’d finally earned her badge had probably been the happiest of her life. And she’d risked it all for me.

That should have told me just how close we were. It should have painted a giant neon sign in the sky that even an idiot like me couldn’t miss. It hadn’t. Instead I’d treated her like shit, and she’d never even said a word up to this point.

One part of me wondered if the damage was irreparable. Had I broken the bonds that were so strong? Lost her? That terrified me. She’d been a part of my life for so long. Ever since she’d tagged along with Yang to a playdate. With years and decades spent together, I couldn’t even begin to imagine my life if she never wanted to speak to me again. I wouldn’t blame her. It was only what I deserved.

Goddamnit… I just didn’t know what to do. Whether I should rush back to the station to apologise, take the coward’s way out and send her a text, or simply wait for her to calm down. I didn’t have a clue what would be best. It was a cruel irony that whenever I’d had in an argument with someone like Yang or Nora, Ruby had been my confidante. Now she couldn’t be, and it sucked.

No. I didn’t believe it was terminal. I couldn’t afford to believe it. If I did, I might as well just step in front of one of the taxis rushing by. Our friendship was too strong for even an idiot like me to ruin it so completely. With a lot of hard work—and a lot of grovelling—we’d be able to move on. I’d talk to her tonight after her shift. Once she’d had a chance to process what an imbecile I was, I was sure she’d decide on a fitting punishment. Whatever it was, I’d take the penance.

With that resolve in mind, I managed to actually look where my feet were going and stop wishing I’d trip into the middle of the road. The sunshine was entirely at odds with my mood. It should have been raining with great storm clouds roiling overhead. But the city contained millions of people, and surely only one was as much of a fuckup as I was. It wouldn’t be fair on everyone else.

And even considering how much I had messed up, I had nothing to show for it. Absolutely nothing. It wouldn’t have been worth it even if Ruby had handed me the music box right there—our friendship had a value far greater than fifty grand—but if I’d come away with the slightest clue then it wouldn’t have been entirely for nought.

The only new information I had gleaned was that the feds were asking questions. That complicated things. And not only because it meant Ruby wouldn’t touch this with a ten foot barge pole. If the feds were involved it meant I was stepping into something far more serious than I’d anticipated. They wouldn’t have got off their asses for a minor burglar. The guy must have been prolific. Judging by his calling card he wanted to make a name for himself, and he’d managed that.

Part of me knew Ruby was protecting me as much as herself. This wasn’t just some unfaithful spouse. Ruby wouldn’t have wanted me to get mixed in this either. To be perfectly honest, that fact made me think twice. Weiss was paying me an awful lot of money, but let’s just say I didn’t have the best health insurance. Or any at all really. That had been one of the first of my expenses to go. I was willing to bet new knees would run me up more than fifty grand.

Of course I was exaggerating. A bottom of the barrel investigator like me wasn’t exactly going to be on the radar when the feds are on the case. I probably wasn't in any more danger than I had been this morning.

Surprise, surprise, my office was empty when I got back. There wasn’t a long line of people waiting in the corridor. I threw open the windows again—I couldn’t afford air conditioning—and stared at my laptop screen. Ruby had always been my most reliable source, but I did have a few others. I just had to work out who might be able to help.

I always did my best thinking on the move. I don’t know why. I didn’t get it from my parents for sure. They’d complained enough times about me wearing holes in the carpets. That was the least of my problems in this office. I scooped up a can of soda from the mini-fridge and held it against my sopping brow.

The burglar was leaving a calling card. Why? What did he have to gain? Notoriety certainly, but how did that benefit him? It had only gotten the feds involved. Burglars worked from the shadows, and here one was thrusting himself into the light. It didn’t make any sense. Not unless…

Maybe he needed to be in the light. Maybe he didn’t just rob people of valuable possessions. Maybe instead, he stole specific items. Things to order. Maybe the business card was just that, a business card, an advertisement for his skills. He left it behind to prove that he’d been successful and let everyone else know. His name might just have been his biggest asset.

I’d stopped pacing. I’d even forgotten the drink in my hand. It was a guess, but my instincts screamed I was right. It made sense. Perhaps the only logic that did. The guy stole to order, and someone had paid him to target Weiss.

There were two items in her safe that had been worth the effort. The diamond tiara and the music box. Both were likely worth millions. If I had to bet, I would have put my money on the target being the music box. In fact I was putting my money on it. To the right collector, at the right underground auction house, something with its history would have been worth far more than its weight in gold.

So, I needed information on a criminal. I knew lowlifes—addicts and thugs who’d be willing to point me in the right direction for a few notes—but they were strictly street-tier informants. They wouldn’t have a clue about this. That narrowed my pool of contacts down, but one of the people left might just be able to help me.

I almost ran back to my laptop. Suddenly I couldn’t wait to get on with the case. This was what I lived for, why I’d chosen this career over any other. When it came down to it, a case was only a series of problems that you had to solve one by one. I’d almost found the key to another.

I booted up PuTTY. It’s a free program one of my friends made me download. I don’t pretend to be completely computer literate. I can use one, but I’m no hacker. In the shows the protagonist would be able to do all this while touch-typing and standing on his head. I had to dig out my notebook and find where I’d written the IP Address and Port number I needed. Opening the connection brought me to a black screen where green text flashed. I don’t know why there wasn’t a proper UI. I guess it would be too easy.

_login as:_

Yeah, it was lucky I’d written my username down as well as all the instructions I needed. I wish I could have called my contact, but they were a little strange—and that was coming from me, someone who owned a plastic breastplate and wore it at weekends.

I hadn’t chosen my nickname. My contact had. They thought it was funny. I wished I knew people with actual senses of humour.

_login as: wh1t3kn1ght  
wh1t3kn1ght’s password: **********_

_Linux kali 3.14-kalil-686 pae #1 SMP Debian 3.14.5-1kalil  (2014-06-06)  i686_

_Last login: Tue Aug 02 14:11:48 from 192.251.68.253  
wh1t3kn1ght: ~$ Collodi_

The screen changed, a bitmap image of a puppet appearing at the top of the page. I was in the right place. But now I needed to connect to the chatroom and hope my contact was there.

_Collodi: Auto Response is set to - wh1t3kn1ght  
Connecting to port 6667 of server irc.eversible.co [refnum 0]_

_[0] /join #th3w0rksh0p_

_wh1t3kn1ght [~wh1t3kn1ght@192.168.68.253] has joined #th3w0rksh0p_  
[Users (#th3w0rksh0p: 2/2)]  
Channel #th3w0rksh0p was created at Wed Aug 10 11:38:27 2016  
Collodi: Join to #th3w0rksh0p was synched in 0.309 sec!!  
[#th3w0rksh0p]

My cursor flashed. I was in, and there was another person. The easy part was done, now came the hard part. I only had to not screw it up as badly as I had with Ruby earlier. That really shouldn’t be too difficult.

< _wh1t3kn1ght > Hey_

I waited. Hoping. Not quite praying. Not yet at least. I wasn’t particularly religious, but everyone needed a miracle occasionally.

_< G3pp3tt0  > hi_

_< wh1t3kn1ght  > I missed you last week_

_< G3pp3tt0  > i was busy_

That might have been the truth. They often had things come up at the last minute, but on other occasions they just hadn’t fancied hanging out. Normally if Ruby wasn’t there.

 _< wh1t3kn1ght  > I’m sorry to hear that_  
< wh1t3kn1ght > We’re meeting again this Saturday if you want  
< wh1t3kn1ght > Or not  
< wh1t3kn1ght > It’s up to you

_< G3pp3tt0  > i’ll think about it  
< G3pp3tt0 > so what do you want???_

_< wh1t3kn1ght  > What?_

_< G3pp3tt0  > u only come on here when u need something_

Did I? The simple green on black text accused me. Did I do the same thing to _G3pp3tt0_ as I did to Ruby? We were friends, but only because we hung out with the same people. We didn’t have all that much in common. It wasn’t like we were going to talk about coding. I suppose I did only call on them when I needed help on a case. Just another thing to feel guilty about. Maybe I’d accidentally kill a puppy as well the way my day was going.

 _< wh1t3kn1ght  > Sorry_  
< wh1t3kn1ght > But you’re right  
< wh1t3kn1ght > I need help

_< G3pp3tt0  > with what?  
< G3pp3tt0 > i’m busy_

She always got straight down to business, and I didn’t know if that was a ‘piss off’ kind of busy, or if she genuinely was.

 _< wh1t3kn1ght  > A case_  
< wh1t3kn1ght > It’s juicy  
< wh1t3kn1ght > The feds are involved

I played my trump card. The same fact that had scared Ruby off would only be enticing to _G3pp3tt0._ Let’s just say, they danced on both sides of the law. It was a fact that Ruby tried her very best to ignore, but I found it useful.

_< G3pp3tt0  > really???_

_< wh1t3kn1ght  > Yes_

_< G3pp3tt0  > what’s the case?_

_< wh1t3kn1ght  > I need to show you  
< wh1t3kn1ght > Can I come to your place?_

It wasn’t strictly necessary, but I’d always preferred talking face to face. Less chance for confusion. I knew where she lived. It was a bit of a trip away, but I could get there. Paying G3pp3tt0 a surprise visit might have been easier than this digital cloak and dagger. They’d made it very clear the only way they were opening her door was if the person was invited. Only Ruby could just turn up and be let in, but that was Ruby for you. I challenge you to find the person who can say no to her when she does her puppy dogs eyes. Seriously, she should place herself under arrest when using them. They were WMDs. A smile spread on my lips before I remembered what had happened this morning. It vanished like the morning fog.

 _G3pp3tt0_ didn’t reply. My cursor continued to flash. My fingers drummed a rhythm into my desk without me noticing. If there was any skill I lacked as PI—apart from not being a dick to my friends—it was patience. I could wait, but I couldn’t do it gracefully. Five minutes or more ticked by.

_< G3pp3tt0  > fine  
< G3pp3tt0 > 48 minutes._

_[~G3pp3tt0] had left #th3w0rksh0p_

I’d never say they weren’t precise. Forty-eight minutes. Forty-nine and they might not open the door even with the invite. With that time frame lunch was out of the question, and so was a leisurely stroll. It would have to be an Uber. Weiss’ check better clear.

* * *

 

I arrived at _G3pp3tt0’s_ door in precisely forty-eight minutes. Well, actually I’d waited around the corner for ten, but that was just the price I had to pay for information. So was the Uber fare. I swore they were gouging now that they’d cornered the market. Yay for monopolies.

 _G3pp3tt0_ lived in a nice apartment complex, much nicer than mine. Not that it was saying much. The carpets in the hallways had just actually been vacuumed this decade. Still, in my opinion it was trying just a bit too hard. No one could actually like the art deco paint scheme. More tolerated it with barely hidden disgust. Or maybe that was just me. I’d never been what one would call cultured.

It was easy to find _G3pp3tt0’s_ door if you knew what you were looking for. It appeared the same as every other one, unless you looked up. A camera peeked through a hole in the ceiling tiles. I waved at it after I knocked. Like I said, they had some peculiarities.

And that included the number of locks on their door. From top to bottom, bolts were drawn back, chains undone, locking bars removed. It would take a guy with a battering ram a couple of hours to get in. Of course that’s precisely why there were so many locks. If the police ever tried to breach _G3pp3tt0’s_ apartment, all they’d find was fried hard drives. There was even a microwave just for that purpose.

With the final, heaviest clunk, the door was pulled back. A frizzy orange haired head peered past it.

“Were you followed?”

The first time I’d come here, I’d laughed, thought it was prank. It wasn't. She was being deadly serious. Serious enough that I’d walked the last few blocks just to appease her.

“I wasn’t. It’s nice to see you Penny.” I refused to call her by her screenname in person. That would just be weird.

“Good. Come in.” I was barely through the door when she slammed it shut and started the lengthy process of locking it. The entire backside was filled with mechanisms. It was only when she had finished did she remember the second part of what I had said. “Oh… It’s good to see you too.”

She did mean it. Penny was… unique. I’d asked Ruby once, and apparently Penny knew that too. She was getting some help, and in most ways she was much better than she had been when Ruby first introduced me to her. Even so, she still sometimes flitted between paranoia and boisterous enthusiasm.

“So what do you need to show me?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “Do you want a drink? Something to eat?”

“Just… water please.” Penny’s apartment might have been nicer than mine, but at least I could move around mine without tripping over cables every three steps. No one would ever have to ask what Penny did for a living. Her electricity bill must have been through the roof and then some. Computers and servers flashed from every direction. The tower against the wall had seven monitors, all filled with scrolling black and white text.

“You said the feds were involved?” Penny asked over the clink of ice.

“Yeah. They are. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Nope. It just makes it interesting. So tell me.”

Penny was to the point, I could be too. “My client got burgled. I was hired to recover her property. The burglar left a business card of sorts. I reckon he must steal stuff to order. And if that’s the case, he’s probably on the internet somewhere. I figured you’d be able to find him.”

 Penny rolled her eyes. She didn’t make any attempt to hide it. “He won’t be on the internet.”

“Why not?”

“Because he’d only be there if he’s a complete and utter moron.” Oh… I guess I was too. That’s where I would have looked. “People like that, they’re on the dark web. You know? Tor, etc. The Silk Road before it got shut down. Sites that like.”

The names rang a bell, but like I said, I’m not particularly computer literate. “And you could find him? On the dark web?”

“Possibly. But what’s in it for me?”

Unlike when I asked Ruby for help, this had always been a transaction. “I’ll owe you one.”

“You already owe me one.”

I’d forgotten about that, and half-hoped she had as well. “I’ll owe you two then.” I gave her my best smile.

“Or you could pay me.”

My stomach sank. “Or I could do that. But not right at this moment.” I didn’t quite have the funds.

“I trust you.” A warmth filled my stomach. I might have been a two-bit investigator, but I always kept my word. It was a point of pride for me. “Plus I don’t know how difficult it will be. What have you got on this guy?”

“Not much. Just the card. It’s on here.” I passed her the USB. A normal person would have just plugged it into their computer. Penny didn’t though. I don’t think she trusted anyone with her hardware. She inserted it into a smaller system off to the side, presumably scanning for viruses or malicious code. Reassured of its safety, she pulled the pictures up on the big screen. I heard the slightest intake of breath.

I leant forward. “You know something?”

“Yes. Your burglar’s not a ‘he’. This symbol belongs to a group of people. A gang if you will. They call themselves the White Fang.”


	4. Chapter 4

“The White Fang?” I asked. It wasn’t exactly what I’d been expecting. In fact it sounded more like an anime grunge band than a criminal gang capable of robbing people like Weiss. Still, the name was intimidating enough. Who would want to mess with people calling themselves _The White Fang_? Apart from me of course, but I’ve always lacked common sense.

“Yeah, I know.” Penny nodded. “It sounds kind of silly doesn’t it? But don’t let the name fool you. These people are serious.”

“How do you know?”

“Just look at your case. The feds have been actively chasing the White Fang for years. They don’t just operate in the US either. Interpol, Europol, they all have wanted notices out for the Fang. That should tell you just how good they are.” Penny leant back in her chair, running a hand through her unruly hair. “I’ve seen them mentioned on the boards a lot. If you hire them, they’re going to get what you want no questions asked. And they don’t ask about their clients either.”

“Who are…”

“Anyone who wants something they can’t buy. Think private collectors who just have to have that last painting to complete their gallery.” She smirked. “The only problem being that it’s currently on display in a museum. They turn to the White Fang. That’s why they leave those cards. They’re well known amongst the right circles.”

“But why not more?” That’s what I couldn’t understand. My initial search had unearthed nothing about them. Surely pictures of their cards should have been all over the web. “Why couldn’t I find anything about them?”

Penny shook her head. I don’t think I had ever seen her looking more disgusted with me. “Because you’re a sheep blindly following the deliberate lies of a media in the pocket of the corrupt establishment.”

_Oh yeah. The other thing I forgot to mention about Penny was that she’s a conspiracy nut._

“Let me guess, you went on Google? One of the largest corporate conglomerates the world has ever seen and is viewed by most people as ‘the internet’? Just type it into Google and if it doesn’t appear in the first page it doesn’t exist! Is that right?”

Very wisely I chose not to offer an affirmative. I mean, she was sort of right. I had just searched Google. It was my tool of choice and when it had come up with nothing, I’d given up. Though, I could at least hold my head up and say I hadn’t stopped at the first page. The fourth or fifth at least. That was something right?

“Don’t you realise that Google is the greatest tool in history for supressing information? It can make anything they want to disappear. Did you know ISIS was created by the CIA to topple the Syrian regime?  That they gave them guns and training? That there are videos? No. Of course you didn’t ,because the government doesn’t want you to. You type that into Google and you’ll get a load of crackpot sites that make the theory sound insane. It’s a black flag operation straight from the CIA handbook, and people keep falling for it.”

Yeah… she gets like this. In full flow, pretty much nothing can shut her up. I don’t mind it really. Everyone had their own passions, conspiracies were one of hers. At least this one wasn’t that farfetched. Judging by history, the CIA was probably involved. You could normally count on them to have their fingers in every single despot in the world.

“And that’s not even considering how Google would have recorded that search and every other one you’ve ever made. You thought you were safe looking at your midget clown porn because you were in incognito mode? Wrong!”

I jumped at her exclamation. And for the record, not my thing. I’ll admit to having some kinks, but I’ve never looked at a circus and thought ‘this is hot, but it could be a whole lot better’.

“Google knows everything about you. But oh, we shouldn’t worry because the NSA isn’t allowed to spy on Americans right?” She rolled her eyes at me. “Technically true, but don’t worry about having privacy. PRISM makes sure you don’t have any nasty thoughts about the government they don’t know about. The NSA handed the keys to all the backdoors to Google, to Windows, to your ISP, to every single device you own to GCHQ. They spy on us while we return the favour and spy on the Brits. Good old allies us two. Making sure none of the Western world has any freedom whatsoever. You think about that the next time you want to jerk off. Someone’s watching you through the camera on your phone.”

That… was not a particularly nice thought. Though to be honest, if it were true, I pitied the person who had to watch me more. I imagine it isn’t my most flattering angle. Penny opened her mouth again. She could go on all day. Literally. Before too long we’d be onto who really shot JFK.

“Penny! This is fascinating and all, but I think we’ve got a little off track. You were telling me why I couldn’t find anything about this White Fang online?”

“Because they didn’t want you too. Haven’t you been listening to anything I’ve been saying?” She threw up her hands in exasperation. “The White Fang are good. They’re always successful. Sometimes it takes years, but if they accept a job, they deliver. Do you really think the government would want that to be public knowledge? That for all the money they spend, they haven’t even come close to catching them? They’re being made laughing stocks of. Every time there’s a failed operation, the White Fang retaliates. They don’t just steal physical stuff; often digital information is far more valuable. All that embarrassing stuff WikiLeaks has released; half has come from the White Fang, and that was the tamer half. They could sink Hillary or Trump with a couple of clicks.”

I swallowed. The water over my head rose that little bit higher. With the feds involved it had been clear this wasn’t just your average case. In fact nothing seemed normal about this at all. Now not only did I have to compete with the feds, but the people I was chasing had taken on the government and made fools of them. It was almost like Anonymous, but you know… not idiots.

“Yeah.” Penny crossed her arms. “You should be scared. These people do not fuck around, nor do their clients. If they’ve stolen something from yours, yeah maybe it was for an eccentric collector… Or it might have been for one of the cartels, or the mafia, or the yakuza, or any number of organisations that would be only too happy to slit your throat. If you want my advice, walk away. Whatever your client’s paying you, it’s not enough.”

The cartels… I’d watched enough documentaries—and Narcos counts—to know if they were looking at me I wanted to be in another state. Hell, even then that might not have been far enough. A lot of the cartels didn’t do much throat-slitting. Drowning in your own blood was too clean, too quick, not enough of a message. They preferred to make things messier.

I had to put a lot more effort into remaining standing than I normally would. My head spun like I’d downed a shot. Maybe two. Penny’s warning had me a racing heartbeat from leaving and forgetting this entire case. Only one fact stopped me. I needed the money. If Weiss came through, she was paying me enough. Regardless, what would the cartels want with a music box?

“They stole an antique, a music box. It wasn’t drugs or anything. It couldn’t have been the cartel.”

Penny’s eyebrow rose. “Why would the cartel steal drugs? They sort of have enough without going through that effort.”

I shrugged. That hadn’t been my best example. “I don’t know. But what I was saying is that a collector probably hired them.”

“Perhaps, but my advice to you as a friend is to drop it.”

She meant it. Coming from Ruby that would have scared me, coming from Penny it was worse. She danced on both sides of the law. She knew what she was talking about.

“What if I can’t?”

Penny closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Then I would suggest that you be careful. I wasn’t exaggerating. These people play in the big leagues. You don’t. Or at least you didn’t. Now you’ve been drafted, even if you aren’t ready.”

I looked into her eyes. They implored me to give up. I couldn’t. “Thanks for being honest. I appreciate it.” I did. The alternative would have been going into this blind. Unaware of just what kind of people I was chasing. After what had happened with Ruby, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. “You can tell me to get out of here if you want.”

Penny cocked her head. “Why would I do that?” She sounded genuinely confused. I didn’t quite get it.

“Because of what you’ve said. The danger.”

“I said you were going to be in danger, not me. I’m not stupid enough to leave a trace.”

My heart surged upwards. “So you’re going to help me?” I’d thought for sure I’d reached another dead end.

“No. You’re going to pay me. A lot more than before. And I’m going to tell you what I know. This is a business arrangement. As a friend I told you to stop, you didn’t listen.”

Great… more money. “That’s fair. What do you know about them?” I took out my notebook and titled the page _The White Fang._

“They’re a collective. Those cards first started showing up on the dark web a couple of years ago. I figure they must have been operating longer than that, maybe under a different name. You don’t get that good that quickly. They started getting noticed. There would be bidding wars for their services. You can pretty much charge what you want when you always deliver. They made a lot of money and gained an even bigger reputation. To be honest, they’re incredibly smart. They realised their skills are only part of it. They needed a brand so they created one.”

“You keep saying they. How many are there?”

Penny shrugged. “I can’t help you there. They hide behind the collective.”

“Damn… so you don’t know anything about them?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No?”

“I know one of them. Or at least we’re familiar with each other.”

That tidbit of information made me sit up in my seat. “How?”

“Let’s just say… we run in a lot of the same circles and encounter each other occasionally.”

“You’re both hackers?”

“I think you’ll find I’m a security consultant,” Penny said in a dry tone. Of course what she hadn’t mentioned was that she often tested a company’s online security whether they paid her to or not. “I’m sure The Rabbit would say the same.”

“The Rabbit? Is that the alias they use?”

“Bingo. It’s another way the members of the White Fang protect themselves. They all have their nicknames. She’s—and I’m guessing it’s a she—called The Rabbit. It’s not random. You asked me how many there are. I don’t know. But if I had to guess, I would say there was twelve, or that’s at least the number they’re aiming for. They’re all named after the animals from the Chinese Zodiac: The Rabbit, The Ox, The Monkey, etc.”

This was getting weird. I half expected Sherlock to walk through the door. Secretive groups using nicknames from ancient China? Maybe even taking on the traits of their animals in bizarre rituals… Perhaps I was letting my imagination get away from me, but after everything this case had thrown up so far, I wouldn’t be that surprised if I ran across someone with a tail.

“So this Rabbit, what’s her role?”

“To find weaknesses and exploit them.”

“You mean in computers?”

“Or in people. That’s often a lot easier than breaking encryption algorithms. One well-placed email and they’ll practically give you the keys to the kingdom.”

I did my best not to look too intimidated. Penny sounded very much like she was speaking from experience.

“Right, but she hacks stuff?”

“In layman’s terms. Sometimes it’s websites or bank accounts, other times it’s security systems so the other members can pull off the physical side without getting caught. She’s good. Very good. I’ve looked at some of her code. She’s almost a mage when it comes to computers. Some of her attacks are just like magic. And she only needs to see one of your tricks once to copy it and use it against you.”

“Have you two met each other?” Penny spoke in a very familiar tone.

“Online. It’s sometimes fun to test yourself against the competition. It’s good practice for the both of us.”

“So who’s better?” I asked with a grin, but also with interest. Knowing what Penny could do with a computer it was sometimes hard to believe she wasn’t at least part-android. She seemed to almost be able to talk straight to it in machine code. It would take a lot to top her.

“We’re about even. Sometimes I win, sometimes she does.” I sensed a hint of bruised ego behind her words. I’d guess Penny lost more times than she won.

“Would you be able to find her? If I asked you to?”

“What?”

“I figure she might be in town.” No doubt Weiss had some fabulously expensive security system. It must have been bypassed. “Could you like, trace her IP or something?”

Penny sucked in her cheeks in an attempt to hold in her laughter. She managed a couple of seconds at best. I could do nothing but smile and bear her ridicule. I didn’t quite understand what was so funny, but I knew that I was the butt of the joke.

By the time she’d finished, Penny had to wipe drool from her mouth with the back of her hand. Her cheeks were bright red. “You know what? You’re kind of cute when you try to talk about computers. Do yourself a favour and never do it again. This isn’t the movies. It’s slightly more complicated than ‘tracing an IP’. She’ll be behind half a dozen proxies all over the world like I am. They’ll be fakes, dead ends, all number of tricks. You’re forgetting that the FBI hasn’t been able to catch her.”

“But you’re better than all those useless government drones aren’t you?”

“That’s a given, but flattery doesn’t work on me. I thought you knew that.” It had been worth a try anyway. Though half the reason it hadn’t been effective probably had something to do with my burning cheeks.

“But could you do it? If you had to?”

Penny leant back on the sofa, balancing an ankle on her other knee. The fingers of one hand tapped her thigh, almost as if it were a keyboard. She didn’t seem to be aware of it, so lost was she in her thoughts. I didn’t say a word. Didn’t want to interrupt. The tip of her tongue stood out against her lips.

“Maybe.” Her voice was soft, but after so long in silence the word made me start.

“You could?”

“I said maybe. Her setup probably won’t be as good if she’s on the road. If she’s even on the road. I might be able to do it, but that’s not the problem.”

The brief hope that had been in my chest died. “What is?”

“If I’m going to do this for you, I need to make sure that no one can trace it back to me. I’ve told you who these people are. I don’t want to get tangled up with them. I need to be clean.”

“Penny… I said you don’t have to do this. I’ll find another way.” Not that I had even the remotest idea how I would go about doing so, but I didn’t want to put her in danger. I’d learnt my lesson.

“And I said you’re paying me for this. If I do it, it will be because I decide to. Not because you made me. I’ll think about it, and think about a way of doing it. I’ll send you a message if I come up with anything.”

As neatly as that, Penny informed me she wanted me gone from her apartment. I rose from my chair. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m going to do?” I didn’t know that either. I just knew that if I had a location I would be able to do something. Stake it out, maybe find another lead.

Penny rose too. She was a good deal shorter than me. The bow in her hair barely came up to my chin. It wobbled as she shook her head. “No. Like I said, this is a business arrangement. I don’t want to know. What you do after is up to you. And I don’t need to remind you that if they catch you, you never talked or have even heard of me right?”

“Of course not.” I hoped she wasn’t being serious. I very much doubted my capability of withstanding torture. More than likely I’d sing like a canary at the sight of a pair of pliers. There were always people who boasted they would be able to take whatever got sent their way. They were lying. Everyone broke and would sell their own mothers to stop the pain. In my view you may as well get it over with before all the nastiness. It was cowardice, but it was smart cowardice.

“Good. I’ll see what I can do.” Penny walked me to the door, and went through the ordeal of unlocking it. “Bye Jaune.”

“See ya. Ren’s on Saturday if you’re interested. Ruby will be there.” I just wasn’t sure if I would. Whether Ruby would even let me in the same room as her. I’d have to start rehearsing my apology on the journey home.

“Maybe,” Penny said as she shut the door.

All in all, there was a slight spring in my step as I walked away. I hadn’t quite known what to expect from my visit but, regardless of what Penny chose, I had a lot more to go on than I did before.

* * *

 

_… I do recognise everything that you have done for me. I didn’t mean to say that earlier. I know how much you’ve risked. I just wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry for being an ass._

My pencil came to a halt on the paper. I read back over what I’d written. Maybe writing down an apology removes the spontaneity from it, but I couldn’t afford to give my mouth free-rein. It would only somehow end up digging the hole deeper. Writing down what I was going to say to Ruby when she clocked off was the smart thing to do.

Even so… I tore the page from my notepad and scrunched it up into a ball. It joined all the others in the trash can. I was attempting the impossible. Trying to write a script that seemed entirely natural. Maybe I should just talk to her. Just say I was sorry and beg for her forgiveness. And risk screwing it up again.

I leant back and put my feet up on my desk. With Penny hopefully busy, I hadn’t had much to do for the last couple of hours. Tedium and regret made for poor bedfellows. I hadn’t even meant to start preparing the apology—it had just happened while doodling on a corner—but the idea had taken off.

Now I wished it hadn’t. No matter how many drafts I went through the right words never managed to materialise. There just didn’t seem to be a magic combination of phrases that were guaranteed to make everything better.

My phone buzzed on the hard wood. I scooped it up, grateful for the distraction.

_101 Warren Street #3210_

That was it. The single line of text from an unidentified number. Not that I needed to guess who had sent it. The malaise that had taken over me evaporated in a heartbeat, adrenaline taking its place. I typed the address into Google—yeah, I know—and looked at the result. No matter what Penny said about evil corporations, Street View was a marvel.

I really hated the person who had originally said that crime doesn’t pay. They hadn’t had the slightest clue what they’d been talking about. If crime didn’t pay, then why were the criminals staying in a penthouse apartment rather than a closet? It was situations like these that made me consider a career change. I bet they had a pool. Life just wasn’t fair.

I pushed my face up against the screen, trying to deduce every detail from the blurry images. It looked like there was a desk just inside and someone sitting behind it. I filed that away as I continued my virtual walk through the area.

It helped that it wasn’t too far. I had actually walked past it a couple of times, though the building had just blended into the thousands of others in the city. I didn’t remember anything special about it.

There was only so much you could learn in front of a screen. Eventually fieldcraft was always called for. I didn’t really have a plan as I stepped out of my office. I’d just look around and see where it took me. Not that I was content to look from a distance. I’d borrowed one of Port’s favourite tricks. It’s amazing all the places a UPS cap and a brown package can get you.

Even the doorman didn’t question me. We exchanged the nods of two bored people just waiting for the end of their shifts. I stepped into the elevator. My palms were slick and my heartbeat echoed against my ears, but I was loving this. The thrill. The excitement of the chase. It was why this career had always called to me ever since playing detectives in my parent’s back yard with Yang and Ruby. I lived for moments like these.

Not that I could forget the danger. I wasn’t just following a guy cheating on his wife, but a ruthless criminal organisation. As the elevator slowed, I straightened my cap and tucked the package under my arm. I was just the delivery guy. Someone you barely saw and most definitely didn’t remember.

The carpet swallowed all the sound from sneakers. It was plush, thick, with subtle patterns dyed into the fibres. I almost felt richer just by the act of walking upon it. The chrome numbers on the doors got higher. I counted them as I went past and was ready when I came to _3210_.

I didn’t stop or slow down as I came abreast of the double doors. One was slightly ajar, a thin strip of light showing. I caught a flash of the interior before my feet had carried me onwards. _Crap_ … I knew what I was going to do. I didn’t even have a choice. It had been inevitable the moment I’d seen that the door had been left open.

I looked around, checking there was no one in the hall before reversing my course. Just a quick peek. I’d stick my head through the door and nothing more. If caught, I could just play the role of a dim-witted delivery guy. I should be good at it.

My gut complained all the way to the door, my instincts warning me this was terrible idea, but my curiosity triumphed. I didn’t knock. I didn’t want to attract anyone’s attention. Inch by inch, I nudged the door open.

The apartment beyond matched my expectations exactly. I could only see the entrance hall, but damn. I loathed people with money enough to afford places like these, but not as much as I envied them.

Before I knew what I was doing the quick look had turned into more. I was good at moving quietly. I’d actually worked at it. The soles of my sneakers never rose more than an inch from the carpet and went down flat. I barely dared breathe. The décor was art deco. The style really seemed in at the moment, probably down to all those property shows.

There wasn’t a hint of sound from within. Maybe The Rabbit had caught wind of Penny’s hack and already fled. That would explain the open door. The hint of a scent in the air stopped me dead. My stomach lurched. There was no mistaking the coppery tang.

I needed to get out of here. My instincts screamed it, but my feet continued to carry me forward. They had a mind of their own. They couldn’t smell the blood that was so thick it was almost possible to chew.

I was watching a horror film. A passive spectator unable to alter the course of the events. To prevent the tragedy. The first specks of incarnadine could have been art. Contrasted against the white walls they wouldn’t have looked out of place in The Met. A gruesome painting referencing the struggles of the working man.

If that had been the work of a delicate artist, the living room had been contracted out to the cheapest contractor. Blood had been painted across the sofas, the chairs, the TVs, even the windows. It pooled on the floor.

But I barely saw any of that. I only saw the two figures in the middle of it. One cradling the other’s head in her lap. She didn’t see me. She was bent over, her long black hair covering her face as she cried silently. Sobs racking her chest.

The other girl didn’t move. Not in the slightest. No one should have been that pale. Even Weiss’s white skin glowed with health. The girl’s had gone out. The blood was hers. All of it. Her brown clothes were stained dark, rents and cuts revealing the gashes under them.

My lunch surged up my throat and out through my mouth. Mushed sandwich splattered to the hardwood as my head spun. I’d never seen a corpse before. I would have reacted badly enough to someone who had died in their sleep… but this…

The black haired girl started, her eyes snapping up to mine. Even her tears couldn’t douse the most brilliant amber within. Her pupils were so sharp they were almost like a cat’s. We stared at each other. Locked together by our gazes. Her face was pale, blood on her lips. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t break eye contact. My brain still reeled from the horror I’d found. It was overloaded. Time must have been passing, but it didn’t feel like it. The girl didn’t move either apart from her trembling jaw, the muscles rigid against her cheeks.

A clatter from the hallway broke our locked gazes, a shout echoing throughout the apartment.

“Police!”

 


	5. Chapter 5

My head snapped around to the hallway behind me. I could hear people coming in. Their footsteps nowhere near as quiet as mine had been. They shouted again, telling me who they were. The police. I’d never been more relieved. I needed them. They would know what to do.

I turned back to the living room, expecting to meet those same amber eyes. I didn’t. The woman was gone. Just like that. I hadn’t heard the slightest hint of rustling cloth or footsteps. One moment she was there, I’d turned my head for only a couple of heartbeats at most, and she’d vanished into thin air. There wasn’t even anywhere she could have gone.

She’d left the other girl on the floor. I was able to see her face. I wished I couldn’t. It was bruised and swollen. Her open mouth revealing missing teeth. She might have been cute once; she wasn’t now. Someone had wanted something from her. Or they’d just wanted to cause her pain.

Another shout came from the hallway. It was only then that I connected the dots in my head. I was now alone. In a room covered in blood. With a corpse. And the police were right behind me. I spun around just as they burst through the doors, black guns leading the way. They trained on me.

“Freeze!” I recognised the voice, as well as the one holding the gun.

“Yang?” Her face was taut with tension. She stared at me from behind her pistol, as if she couldn’t quite believe her eyes.

“Jaune?” Even though she said it, the maw of her gun didn’t move. It was pointed straight at my centre-mass. The hole at the end of the barrel seemed so much bigger from this side. It seemed cavernous. Yang’s eyes flicked to the corpse and then back to me again.

Her partner did point his gun away from me. Neptune fell to his knees, his hat slipping from his head as he retched. His lunch landed not too far away from mine.

Yang looked green as well, but she didn’t give in to her nausea, nor did she relent. Her gun wavered slightly, but it didn’t stop pointing in my direction. She closed her eyes for the briefest heartbeat before opening them. When she spoke, her voice was entirely devoid of any emotion. “Put your hands on your head.”

“Yang it’s me.” I took a step forward. Yang’s pistol steadied, her finger slipping inside the trigger guard for the first time.

“Stop!” Her harsh command echoed from the walls. “Hands on your head!”

“Yang?” I couldn’t understand. She couldn’t have thought I did this. We’d known each other since we were kids.

“Put your hands on your head or I will shoot.” There was no give in her tone. Absolutely none. She really would.

With my mouth dry, I raised my shaking hands. My head spun. I couldn’t believe any of this was happening. How did I end up here in a room covered with blood while my friend pointed a gun at me?

“Turn around.”

“Yang.” I tried once more.

“Turn around,” she repeated in exactly the same tone as if it were coming straight from the recording used in training.

I had no choice.

“Get on the ground.”

With exaggerated slowness, I lowered myself to one knee, and then the other. I could barely put two thoughts together. Yang started forward; I couldn’t help but imagine the gun pointed at the back of my head.

“Lay down.”

I leaned forward but hesitated, already losing my balance. Could I take my hands off my head? Her boot pressed against my back, forcing me onto my front.

My cheek landed in something damp. The smell of blood became a million times stronger. Acid surged back up my throat and out of my mouth. I thrashed, trying to get out of the pool of red. A knee pressed against my spine. I struggled to drag in a breath through the vomit and against the weight crushing my chest. I couldn’t breathe. My hand was wrenched behind me, metal biting against my wrist. It was repeated for the other a moment later.

The weight didn’t lift from my back. I writhed against it. My body needed to get away from the blood.

“Stop resisting!” I couldn’t help it. Didn’t she understand? One nostril blew bubbles in mix of red and white.

“Yang,” the other voice said from above me. Neptune must have pointed at my face. I was lifted up by my elbows and dropped a few inches to the side. The wooden floor was hard against my cheek, but at least it was dry. My vision swam as I hyperventilated. I just couldn’t get enough air down to satisfy what my lungs demanded of me.

“Don’t move.” The weight vanished. I barely noticed through my panic. “Neptune call this in.”

“Call what? What is all this?” Neptune’s voice was unsteady.

“Get homicide up here. And the wagon. The suspect is in custody. Don’t touch anything.”

Suspect? I wasn’t. I hadn’t. I’d only arrived moments before them. I would have told them that if my lungs had air spare to breathe. Instead all I could do was choke on the blood on my lips.

“What about him?” Neptune asked.

“I’ll watch him

“Do you really think?”

“I don’t know,” Yang snapped. “But he’s here. No one else is.”

There is. There was. The black-haired girl with the amber eyes. She must have done this. She’d been the only one here.

“But—”

“Neptune, I’ve told you what to do! There’s a dead girl over there. Call it in.”

Neptune’s boots echoed as he walked away. Yang’s came to stand just before my head. She must have been looking down at me. I only just managed to catch her whisper.

“What have you done Jaune?”

* * *

 

The handle of the steel door rattled. It was about time. I’d been sitting in this featureless room for an age, staring back at myself in the mirror, wondering how I’d managed to find myself in this position. Dressed in a jump suit, my hands cuffed to the table in front of me, my ass numb from hours in a metal chair, my mouth dry, and my thoughts terrified of what might happen. I’d run through my defence in my head. It was circumstantial at best. Sure I hadn’t done anything, but I’d been alone at the scene of the crime with no reason to be there.

A man entered the room. His shoulders seemed about half again as wide as they should have been; he would be the first to tell you that only an injury stopped him from being a professional line-backer. Any hope that had been in my chest died. I recognised him and the same was true in reverse.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. I always knew you were a freak, but I never would have guessed you were this fucked up.”

You know how I said earlier that not all cops were assholes? Well, Cardin was one of the exceptions. He’d only made detective because of _Daddy_ , and he’d taken an instant disliking to me when we’d first met. I didn’t know what his problem was. He’d probably jumped at this case the moment he saw who was in custody. Russel laughed as he walked in. It didn’t matter there hadn’t been anything even resembling a joke; his duties as a lackey required it.

Cardin drew back the chair across from me, scraping it against the floor. The noise screeched in the confined space. Rooms like these were never meant to be comfortable. You only had to look at the harsh white lights, the hard furniture, and nothing of interest to distract you. It was just you and the thoughts of how much worse it could be if you didn’t confess.

Russel moved to stand behind me. It was a simple physiological ploy, but it worked. Russel’s presence, out of my line of sight, was an irritant and a distraction. Cardin placed a bottle of water on the table.

“I thought you might be thirsty.”

I was. I hadn’t had a drink since they’d sat me down here. I reached towards the bottle. My cuffs brought me up short, the metal bands digging into my skin. Cardin smirked. He’d known that would happen. Like I said, asshole.

I knew there was no chance of him passing me the water even if I asked. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of saying no. I lowered my hands back to the table, staring at him. He must have been a bully in school. He was still one, but now he was one with real power.

“Lawyer.” Given my financial situation it would have to be a public defendant just out of college, but anything was better than nothing. Only idiots talked to the police without an attorney. Even when they were innocent. Especially when they were innocent.

Cardin smiled. “Come on now Jaune, that’s hardly the way to start a conversation between friends.”

“Lawyer.”

“I don’t think you understand the situation here.” His tone couldn’t have been more mocking if he tried. “We’re not interrogating you. There are no tapes recording in the background. No cameras. We just came in here for a friendly chat.”

“Lawyer.”

Cardin shrugged the shoulders that had to be the product of steroids. I was impressed he could even shrug them with how grotesquely bounded by muscle they were. “I think the record’s broken. Do you mind Russel?”

My head jerked forward and my vision whited out. When it came back, Cardin was still smiling politely. The back of my skull smarted. Russel hadn’t hit me hard, but he had hit me. I couldn’t believe it. I’d heard stories of police brutality, but I’d thought most of them were made up. And I certainly never expected they would happen to me. But here I was, chained to a table, and a detective had just assaulted me. I was momentarily speechless.

“See, that worked.” Cardin nodded to Russel. “Just do it again if it starts acting up.”

The smug smirk on his face was enough for me to find my voice. “What the fuck!”

“Language Jaune. We wouldn’t want to have to wash your mouth out with soap. You must have heard what happens when you drop it.” The smirk was the same, but his eyes gained a predatory gleam.

I swallowed. He wasn’t… he couldn’t be suggesting what I thought he was. No, not even him. He was just trying to scare me, intimidate me.

“Now Jaune, why don’t you tell me why you killed that girl? Did she reject you? Laugh at your tiny pecker? Is that why you stabbed her three dozen times?”

“I didn’t.” The words slipped from me. I hadn’t meant to say anything to him. Not without speaking to my attorney first.

“Really? Is that the best lie you’ve been able to come up with in hours? I’m almost disappointed. But at least I know why your business is going under.”

“Lawyer.” Russel didn’t even wait for Cardin’s approval, his knuckles slammed into exactly the same place as before.

Cardin’s eyes narrowed. He took a pen from his pocket and placed it on the table; he repeated the same with a paperclip. “If you say that again, Russel here is going to step outside. And when I say you picked your cuffs, stole my pen, and tried to stab me, no one will question why I bounced you off every wall in this room until you started choking on your own blood. Your choice.”

The colour drained from my face. His voice had grown darker with every word. It wasn’t an idle threat, and I doubted I was the first person to receive this treatment.

“What? No more smart remarks?”

“This is illegal.” I had to say it. Had to get it on record.

Both of them laughed. The mocking noise rang around the room. “No, no,” Cardin said. “You’ve got it all wrong Jaune. We’re police officers. We even have badges. You’re the criminal here. You murdered that woman. Who was she?”

I didn’t speak. I didn’t do anything apart from stare with my hands clenched into fists.

“Come on Jaune. You must know how this works. I ask questions. You answer them. It’s going to be rather boring if you don’t play along.” He slammed his palm down on the table. “Why did you kill her!” The sudden violence made me jump. I looked around, searching for an escape. There was none. I clamped my teeth together. Cardin wanted a quick result, even if it involved sending an innocent man to jail. I couldn’t afford to incriminate myself.

“You’re annoying me now.” Cardin leant forward. “I’m going to give you a choice. You can plead guilty now and you might be out in twenty years. Or you can continue bullshitting me.” His voice dropped. “In which case you’ll go back to your cell. Who knows, you might even fall down a flight of stairs on your way, or maybe we’ll find tomorrow morning hanging from yo—”

The door opened. Cardin broke off mid-word, glaring at the person who had dared to interrupt him. “Who the hell are you?”

I looked around, my heart leaping. “Pyrrha…”

She didn’t respond to her name, instead she continued into the room, her heels clicking on the hard floor. Her eyes met Cardin’s glare and returned it in kind. “I’m his attorney.” Her voice was entirely the opposite of how I remembered it. When we’d talked before it had always been warm and friendly—if a little bit distant—now it was cold and harsh.

“We’re not done here.” Cardin rose. With Pyrrha’s heels they were about the same height, but his bulk suggested he could snap her in half.

Pyrrha didn’t back down. “Yes, you are. Especially since I don’t even know what you’re doing here. I assume you’ve been recording your interview as you’re required to do by law?” Cardin and Russel exchanged glances. “No? I’m shocked.” She wasn’t. “And I assume you did offer my client the right to arrange for an attorney to be present before starting the interview which is also required by law. What? No again?”

“Get out,” Cardin growled, his face glowing red. “You’re interfering with a homicide investigation.”

“No. You know he didn’t do it. There was no blood on his clothes, he wasn’t breathing hard, and he shows no sign of injuries. You were just trying to strong-arm him. Well you lost your gamble. Here’s how this is going to play out. You’re going to unlock Jaune’s cuffs and process bail. Now.”

“He’s a suspect in a murder inquiry!”

“And you’ve broken every single rule in the book by even being in the same room as him. That’s a mistrial if I’ve ever heard one.” Pyrrha held up her phone and flicked through her contacts. “Do you want to have this discussion with the DA? She’s a personal friend. I did an internship as her assistant. I’m sure she’d be very interested to hear why you broke protocol on such an important investigation. So go on, make your choice.”

Cardin opened and closed his mouth several times. He looked like a goldfish out of water. He probably had a brain the same size as one. After everything he’d done and threatened me with, I loved seeing him getting outmanoeuvred. Karma’s a bitch. Doesn’t everyone know it?

Pyrrha faced him down, not a trace of give within her. I didn’t know how she came to be here but, at this moment, I couldn’t care in the slightest. With her carmine hair cascading down the back of her suit jacket, she’d never appeared hotter to me.

Cardin brushed past her, his shoulder knocking into hers. Everything must have told him he should have been able to intimidate her, but he’d found himself sorely lacking. He didn’t know Pyrrha like I did.

I wouldn’t exactly say that Cardin was gentle when he unlocked my cuffs. In fact he seemed intent on taking a layer of my skin with him. “Don’t leave town. We’ll be talking again.”

“Count on it. We can talk about the civil suit I’m about to shove up your ass.” I’d let my mouth run away from me again. Cardin came about a heartbeat from hitting me before he thought better of it. Behind him Pyrrha shook her head, her jaw jutting. Cardin took one final look at me, his eyes promising retribution, before striding from the room with Russel on his heels like a good doggy.

The door closed. I flopped back in my chair, all my muscles going limp as the tension drained from me. It felt like I’d just run a half marathon. In fact the gruelling exercise would have been vastly preferable. I rested my pounding head on the cold table.

“Jaune, are you ok?” I felt Pyrrha’s concerned presence at my side. “Should I call for a doctor?”

I shook my head.

“Are you sure? Your face is pale.” It didn’t matter that we’d barely exchanged more than a few messages since working together months ago, her voice was still worried. Pyrrha was like that. She cared about people. No matter whom they were. I raised my head to look at her.

“You’re amazing. Do you know that?”

Pyrrha blushed, her cheeks doing the best to match her hair. I’d found out previously she didn’t like unearned compliments, but she deserved that one. If there was one word that could be used to describe Pyrrha, amazing was it. You only had to see her CV to know that.

Graduating top of her class at Harvard, she would easily have made partner at any major law firm in the country by now. Instead she worked out of an office barely larger than mine. She’d eschewed wealth in favour of fighting back against global corporations illegally destroying the planet. It wasn’t a profitable enterprise. It couldn’t be when those companies had teams of lawyers on retainer. Pyrrha even worked part-time as a model to be able to pay her few members of staff, and the odd private investigator she’d needed to hire.

She hadn’t been able to afford an established PI, instead she’d taken a gamble on an ad she’d found in a phone book. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that it was been my office she’d ended up standing in. That case was one of the few that I could look back to with pride.

The logged and paid for waste outputs of a pharmaceutical company hadn’t matched Pyrrha’s calculations. She’d hired me to find out why, and I had. A sinkhole had opened up in one of their old warehouses; instead of fixing it, some bright spark in accounting had worked out how much money they could save by pouring chemicals down it. Down it and eventually into the water table. With my video footage, Pyrrha had launched a class-action lawsuit against them. They were dragging their heels in the courts, but she was going to put them through the wringer eventually.

Pyrrha really was an incredible person. Few would be selfless enough to struggle through everything she had for the good of others. I had no doubt she could become a politician that I actually wanted to vote for in the future.

Oh… and as well as her philanthropic work and modelling career, Pyrrha had also won a Gold Medal at London four years ago for the javelin. Yeah, on top of everything else, she was an Olympic champion. Only an injury kept her from Rio. Just like Weiss had, some people made me think the genetics’ lottery was rigged.

Not that I minded her being amazing in every single way. Not when she’d just bailed me out of the situation I’d found myself in. I could have kissed her feet, but that would have weirded her out. I settled for just offering my heartfelt thanks.

Pyrrha sat in the seat vacated by Cardin and looked deep into my eyes. “Jaune, I’ve got to know… did you do it?”

My mouth fell open. I couldn’t believe she was even asking me that question. Sure, we didn’t know each other all that well, but we must have talked enough for her to know that I would never be able to kill someone.

“I need the truth. Whatever it is. Please Jaune.” Her emerald eyes implored me.

I found my voice. “No. Of course not.”

Pyrrha’s lips curled slightly in a smile, but it was a tired one. “Good. I knew you hadn’t, but I just had to hear it.” She looked off and muttered to herself. “I hate criminal law.”

If she did, she’d gotten involved in it again for me. I couldn’t understand why? We’d worked together once. That was it. We weren’t friends, only mere acquaintances. And yet, here she was.

“Why are you here?”

Pyrrha misunderstood the question. “Because your friend Ruby called me.”

I hadn’t actually thought about how Pyrrha had known I needed an attorney. Ruby had my back again, even after everything I’d said to her this morning. It showed what kind of person she was. Maybe she’d already forgiven our argument, but I hadn’t. I would have to do something very special for her after all of this.

“No, I meant why are _you_ here?” I stressed the words. “I think you’re incredible and all, and if you ever need anything from me you only have to ask, but why didn’t you just tell Ruby to find someone else? You’re not a defence attorney.”

Pyrrha tucked a loosed strand of incarnadine hair behind her ear. “Jaune… you needed help. I wasn’t going to turn away from you. You helped me when I needed it, now I’m here to repay the favour. It’s the least I could do.”

It hadn’t exactly been a favour. Pyrrha had paid me for my work. For an awful moment my stomach dropped as I considered that I would have to pay her, but then it settled. I’d find a way to pay whatever fees she asked. It was the least she deserved after probably getting me off a murder charge.

“Well, thank you. I know I said it before, but I feel like I should say it again. You didn’t have to do this for me, but you did. That means a lot.” Pyrrha’s cheeks heated up again. I had no clue why she kept reacting like that. Just shy I guess.

“As I said before, it was no problem.”

I wasn’t going to take that. Pyrrha’s name had joined Ruby’s on the list of people I had to do something special for. Not that I was any good at coming up with ideas. Still, I was pretty sure they wouldn’t involve sitting around in a police station.

“So what happens now?” I asked.

Pyrrha’s tone became business-like, the hesitation of before vanishing. “Well you’ll get bail. They can still charge you for breaking and entering.” She raised a finger, cutting off my protest. “You were there Jaune. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t force your way in. However, between that detective and the reasonable explanation that you heard a disturbance and tried to help, they’ll probably drop it.”

That’s what she thought. That I had just been passing by and decided to help. I didn’t want to lie to her. I couldn’t when she was doing all this to help me.

“Pyrrha… I wasn’t just passing by.”

“I thought you said you had nothing to do with it?” Her lips had flattened to a thin line.

“I didn’t.” I held up my hands. That had been a stupid thing to say. “I swear it. But I’m working a case, and it led me to that address. I was passing by and the door was open, so I decided to look inside. The cops arrived a moment later.”

Pyrrha’s head sank into her palms. “Why did you have to tell me that?” she whispered.

“I wanted to be honest with you.”

She looked back up, her eyes narrowed. “I would have preferred not knowing. This is why I hate criminal law. You just admitted that you did trespass, you broke the law, but I’m going to get you off scot free because it’s the only way you won’t end up in a cell for the next month.”

“I’m sorry.” I hadn’t thought of it like that. What my confession would mean to someone as honest as Pyrrha.

She stood, her arms wrapped around herself. Beneath the harsh white lights, she didn’t look like the lawyer who had corporate directors all over the city bricking themselves at the sound of her name. Nor did she look like the model and athlete who graced the front of magazines and cereal boxes. Instead she looked vulnerable, and tired, ever so tired. She needed someone to hold her, to tell her she was doing everything she could. For one moment, an insane part of me suggested I should be that person. I quashed it. It could never be me. She needed someone who was her equal to tell her those things, not a two-bit private investigator.

Pyrrha ran her hand through her gleaming hair and in doing so found strength. “Ok Jaune, I’m going to go and find someone to take your statement. I’ll be right here with you.” She took a deep breath, a slight shudder running through her. “And you’re going to say you were just passing. You can mention your case, but you didn’t go inside without noticing something and wanting to help. Ok?”

I hated that I was making her lie. I wished I didn’t have to. I tried to be honest, but I lied the same as almost everyone else. Pyrrha was one of those exceptions. Everything I’d seen of her would have me believe she really was as good as she seemed. Her only flaw was knowing me.

“Ok.”

“Right. It shouldn’t take too long.”

* * *

 

It hadn’t. Pyrrha had found a detective who, like most cops, was one of the good guys who only wanted to help people. His questioning had been intensive, but also fair. By the end he’d told me they might need to question me again, advised me not to leave town, and guided me into the reception area of the station.

Ruby was waiting there in her civilian clothes. She jumped up as I appeared at the door, throwing aside her magazine. We locked eyes, both momentarily frozen. The moment passed. I didn’t have time to apologise before I caught Ruby in my arms. She squeezed me for all she was worth. My ribs creaked.

“You’re an ass Jaune,” she said into my shoulder.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry Ruby. I mean that, truly.” All my prepared speeches seemed ludicrous now.

“I know.” Ruby pushed us apart. Her cheeks were wet. “I couldn’t believe it when Yang told me.” She noticed my eyes narrow. “Don’t you for one moment dare blame her for any of this. She did her job. You were the only person at the scene of a homicide. She had to bring you in.”

I nodded. Ruby’s defence of her sister was as truthful as it was passionate. Yang hadn’t had a choice. And to be fair, she could have shot me. I’d given her enough cause. I owed her a beer. Seeing that I’d accepted her words, Ruby turned her attention to Pyrrha.

Watching Pyrrha get tackled by Ruby, it was fair to guess she didn’t really get hugged much. At first she froze, her arms held up high, her eyes wide and shocked. It was only after a moment did she pat Ruby on the back. Pyrrha really seemed to have no idea what to do. Maybe she wasn’t a touchy-feely type of person.

“Thank you.” Ruby smiled up at her. “I’m sorry I called you out of the blue, but I really didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“Like I said, it’s fine. I’m glad you called.”

“Well I’m taking you out for a meal some time to say thank you.” I was sure Ruby hadn’t meant for the invitation to sound quite so forceful, but sometimes she gets a little overexcited. It was another thing that made her, her.

“Oh… umm… That sounds lovely.” Pyrrha chose the diplomatic answer.

“Great. So is Jaune free to leave now?”

“Yes. He might have to be questioned again, but he hasn’t been charged.”

Ruby almost held up her hand for a high five before thinking better of it. “I knew you’d do it. I guess you want to get out of here then?” she asked me.

I didn’t need time to think. It wasn’t the first time I’d been arrested, but it was the only time I’d been truly scared by the consequences. “Yeah.”

Ruby led us out onto the sidewalk. The sky surprised me. Nothing was ever truly dark in the city that never sleeps, but it was at least the late evening. I’d completely lost track of time in the windowless room. It had been hours, and Ruby had sat there waiting for all that time. She really was the best friend anyone could ask for.

“Which way are you going Pyrrha?” Ruby asked.

Pyrrha held out her arm for a cab. “To Midtown.” She shied away as Ruby pulled her wallet from her jeans. “No. I’m not going to let you pay for me. I did this for a friend.” That surprised me. I hadn’t thought that Pyrrha considered me a friend.

Ruby knew when not to push any further. “Well have a safe trip. We’re heading this way. And remember, dinner sometime.”

“Of course.” Pyrrha opened the door of her cab. “Goodbye Ruby, Jaune. I hope next time we meet the circumstances are less dire.” She smiled, showing her perfect teeth. It was a weak one, but I sensed she was trying to make a joke. I laughed, and after a moment Ruby joined in. It seemed to be the right thing to do.

“Bye Pyrrha, and thanks.” She waved as her cab pulled away.

Ruby and I started walking. New York at night was a different proposition entirely. It was still busy, alive, but in a different way. It was hard to quantify. There were less people rushing around, and more people just enjoying a stroll under the moon.

We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to. We were far too good of friends for that. Friends were people whom you could truly enjoy silences with. So we walked side by side, our arms occasionally brushing one another. It was only when I turned towards my office did Ruby speak.

“Where are you going?”

“I have some work to do.” Ruby looked at me. She knew when I was lying. I didn’t want to say it, but it came out in a whisper. “I can’t go to sleep tonight.” Not with that girl floating before my eyes.

Ruby was silent for a time. “I know how it is Jaune. I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy. It isn’t. Of course it isn’t. I have nightmares about some of the things I’ve seen. But I know it helps to talk. So if you need to, I’m here.”

“I know you are.” I don’t think Ruby had ever let me down. The reverse happened far too often.

“Then trust me. While not sleeping might seem a good idea in the short term, it won’t be in the long run. You’ll have to face up to it eventually. I’m not going to lecture you tonight. We’re both too tired.” She raised her hand to stifle a yawn. “But if you want to come back to my place, then you can.”

“Thanks Ruby, but tonight I just want to keep busy.”

Ruby nodded. I didn’t know what she was thinking behind her wide eyes. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

We’d reached the door to my office block. I didn’t know. “No.” I decided. Ruby nodded again, accepting my decision. Even so, she followed me inside as I stepped into the elevator. The scent of her shampoo overwhelmed me. After such a trying day, it was so familiar, so comfortable. It reminded me of home and of my best friend.

Every window in the building was dark. Good. I’d be alone with my thoughts, but I needed to get them all into order.

Ruby tugged on my arm. “If you need anything, just say.”

“I know.”

“And call me in a few hours. Just to let me know you’re ok. Otherwise I’m going to come looking for you.” It was said as a joke, but the concern it was hiding was real.

“I promise. Thanks Ruby, for everything you’ve done.” Ruby smiled. I loved making her smile. It was the best smile in the entire world.

“Hey, don’t mention it. If you’re sure about this, I’ll leave you to it. But try to get some sleep. It’s for the best.”

“I’ll think about it.” I took the opportunity to hug her. It was a rare reversal, but I needed it. “See you Rubes,” I said into her hair.

“Bye Jaune.”

I watched as she walked away. That was another thing that was great about her. She knew not to press her own solutions onto others’ problems. That each person had their own way of dealing with it and would give space for them to do so. She looked back as she walked away, but only because it showed her concern.

As she reached the elevator I unlocked my office and stepped inside. The air inside was cold. I was glad I’d accidentally left the window open; the temperature would help me keep dreams at bay. I shut my door and reached for the light.

I froze mid-motion as the barrel of a gun pressed against my ribcage.


	6. Chapter 6

It was an odd feeling. I’d never had it happen to me before, but not for one moment did I mistake the pressure as anything other than a gun. You just know.

I didn’t dare move. I didn’t even dare to breathe.

“If you make a noise, I’ll kill you.” The voice was cold, passionless. The words were spoken in an entirely matter of fact tone. I had no doubt as to the sincerity of the threat. Making a noise was the last thing I wanted to do.

Especially because of Ruby. If I shouted out, she would have heard. Then she would have tried to save me. In her uniform it might have been a different prospect, but she didn’t often carry off-duty, and she certainly didn’t casually wear body armour. She would try to save me, and would likely die in the attempt. I couldn’t put her in that danger. I couldn’t allow her to get herself killed on my behalf. I’d already seen what one line of duty death had done to her family. Even if it cost me my life, I wasn’t going to risk Ruby’s.

“Nod if you understand.” That same voice. It was a woman’s, though huskier than I would have expected. It sounded exactly like the type of voice I would imagine from someone whose first greeting was a gun.

I nodded. I never said I was brave or a hero. Perhaps a hero wouldn’t have even needed Ruby. They would have made a grab for a gun and disarmed their assailant. I wasn’t a hero, but in real life heroes get shot.

“Keep your hands where I can see them.”

The pressure disappeared from my back, the presence withdrawing. I didn’t dare turn around nor do anything other than keep my hands up. The lock clicked behind me. I swallowed. This wasn’t just a thief I’d interrupted. She wasn’t going anywhere.

“Sit in the chair. Slowly.”

I took a step, and when the world didn’t go dark, I took another. Reaching my desk, I was finally able to look around. I shouldn’t have been surprised. As annoying as I am, there wasn’t a long list of people who would want to point a gun at me. In fact I hoped there was only one name on it, and the woman with the amber eyes from the apartment was at the top of it.

She was dressed differently from how I last saw her. Then she’d been in casual clothes, now I was guessing she was wearing her work attire. Not that it was a suit or a paper hat. The skin-tight clothes hugging her form were entirely black. There wasn’t a trace of colour on her. In all honesty it wouldn’t have been a bad catwoman cosplay.

Apart from the gun. That wasn’t a prop. It even had a silencer fitted to it. Ruby probably wouldn’t have heard the shot if I’d called out. Getting guns pointed at me was becoming troublingly common, but this was different from Yang’s and Neptune’s. Theirs had been for self-defence. They’d aimed at my centre-mass and their guns hadn’t been steady. The woman’s was. Her hand didn’t shake the slightest and the barrel was lined up right between my eyes. She jerked her head at the chair set out for my non-existent customers.

“Sit.” The gun followed me down. “Who’s your friend?”

“Don’t hurt her.” The words were out of my mouth before I knew it. I’d even leant forwards, ready to rush to Ruby’s aid. The woman arched an eyebrow and gestured me back. I complied, my knuckles white on the arms of the chair. I might not have been a hero, but I was as stupid as one. She could have shot me then.

“Whether or not I hurt her is entirely up to you.” She took a couple of step forwards, her boots not making a hint of sound. “Who are you?”

“What?” I didn’t understand the question.

“Do not make me repeat myself again. Who are you?” Fury simmered just below the surface. I had no doubt that if I gave her an excuse I would never leave this room, but I wasn’t always the greatest under pressure. And impending death was just a little bit worse than a surprise algebra quiz.

“Umm…” her finger twitched on the trigger. “I’m Jaune.” _Thanks brain. I knew I could rely on you to talk me out of this._

“I know that,” the woman hissed. “Who are you?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re asking.” I could hear my own voice getting higher as I panicked. I didn’t have a clue what she wanted to know.

“Who are you working for? Who hired you?”

“Weiss… Weiss Schnee,” I squeaked. Maybe there is such a thing as confidentiality agreements, but they didn’t have much weight compared with a gun.

The woman frowned. “Who?”

“Weiss Schnee. She hired me to find her music box.”

“Oh… her.” The gun lowered momentarily before snapping back up. “I don’t believe you.”

“What? I promise you, I’m telling the truth.”

“No you’re not. Where’s Torchwick?”

“Who?”

“Torchwick!” She took a step closer. I could feel the cold of the pistol against my forehead.

“I don’t know who that is.”

“Bullshit! You were there with Velvet.”

 _Velvet_. The girl. I didn’t know if I wanted to know her name. Probably not. It made her a person.

“I wasn’t! I came in afterwards.”

“Stop lying to me! You’re working for him.”

“I’m not! I’m not!” The cushions depressed under me as I squeezed myself into them. She was deranged.

Her fingernails raked my scalp as she grabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked my head back. The gun moved to point at my elbow. “I’m going to give you one last chance to come clean or you’ll never use that arm again. Tell me where he is?”

The intent in her tone couldn’t be mistaken. If I could have told her I would have. If I’d had the slightest idea, I would have said. But I didn’t know who this ‘Torchwick was. I even thought about lying. Trying to get her to leave. But then I risked her coming back, only even more pissed than before. She knew where I worked, she probably knew where I lived, and locks were no barrier to her.

Bereft of options, panic, real true panic set in. I hugged my arm to myself, as if my other hand would protect it from a bullet. I’d dragged down breathes that were far too short. Tears streamed from my eyes. I was going to die. I wished I’d said goodbye to Ruby properly, hugged her again, told her how much she meant to me. I hoped she knew anyway, and that Yang would be there to comfort her.

“Tell me!”

“I… I… I…” My voice broke entirely, coming out as fractured sobs. “I’ve never heard of him before.” The moon sparkled through my wet eyes. The room was quiet apart from my heavy breathing and racing heart.

“You really don’t know.” She sounded as if she hardly believed it.

I shook my head violently, shaking her hand off. “I don’t. I don’t.”

The lifting of her gun from me was like the removal of a physical weight. I collapsed into my chair, entirely spent. I’d thought Cardin’s interrogation had been taxing. He needed to take lessons.

Not that the questioning was over. The woman still looked at me, though maybe with slightly less hostility than before. Just a bit.

“What were you doing there?”

“I told you. Working a case.”

“For Weiss?”

“Yes. I don’t know anything about anything else.”

“Really?” Her brow furrowed. “Then how did you find our safe-house?”

“My friend helped me.”

“Who?” The woman’s eyes darkened again.

I clamped my jaws together and shook my head. I couldn’t betray Penny.

The gun rose slightly. “I can make you tell me.”

I had to swallow before I could speak. “I know. But she’s my friend. And she’s not involved. I went to her, not the other way around. She was only doing what I asked.”

She considered me a moment, her frown deepening. “Your loyalty is commendable, but you have to see this from my point of view. No one knew where we were. No one.” Her gun shook in her hand. “Then I return to find Velvet murdered. Tortured.” She closed her eyes, her body trembling, anguish and rage dripping from her in equal measure. “Then you turn up.” She hissed. “If your friend told you where we were, then maybe she told someone else.”

No. Penny wouldn’t have done that. Surely. I wanted to say I was entirely certain. I couldn’t. Penny had contacts. Maybe she knew this ‘Torchwick or knew someone who knew him. Maybe she had passed the information along, heedless of what the end result would be. Maybe, but I couldn’t sell her out even if I was sure. Not to the justice this woman would mete out.

“I can’t.” I screwed up my eyes in preparation of searing pain. None came. I heard a creak to my left. I opened my eyes and found the woman sitting casually on my desk, her gun no longer in sight.

“Jaune… do you mind if I call you that?” Her tone was softer. Perhaps not kind, but it was no longer made me fear for my life. She sounded too tired to hurt me.

“No.” Why would I? Getting on first name terms was good. It humanised me. “But then what do I call you?”

The woman bit her lip, the slightest bit of white catching the purple. “You may call me The Tigress.”

The Zodiac, just like Penny had said. My first impressions of her had been that of a cat. She just seemed to move like one. I hadn’t been that far off. “Is that your codename? It’s a bit of a mouthful.”

“Perhaps.”

“Do people call you kitty?” Judging by past experiences, it was risky in the extreme to try a joke. Mine normally sank like a stone. But this one didn’t. In fact her lips curled. Maybe a miniscule amount, but they did curl.

“If they like pain.” It was a threat, but a threat said in an entirely dry tone. I didn’t think she meant it.

“Ok. Not kitty then. How about Leone?” I’d plucked the name almost out of the air.

“Léon?” There was that eyebrow again. “The movie?”

“Umm… The anime.” Leone may have been the spitting image of Yang—she did a killer cosplay—but it still fit. “She has cat ears...” It was a little embarrassing to admit watching anime though. They get a bad rap.

“You’re really taking The Tigress too literally. I’m not actually a cat-girl. See?” She gestured at the top of her head. “No ears.”

“I know. It’s a little disappointing.” Another small smile. She looked like she needed it. I couldn’t imagine being in her position. Actually I could. I should have said I didn’t want to imagine it. Didn’t want to even give into the notion that I one day could be.

“You’re a right nerd.”

“A little bit.” I forced a chuckle, and though she didn’t quite laugh, she did smile. Sharing moments like that was good. Of course I had to hope she wasn’t a high-functioning sociopath who could laugh with me one minute and shoot me in the face the next all without changing her expression.

She sighed. “Leone it is then.”

Leone turned and looked out the window, idly running a hand up and down her arm. Sitting there, she could have been one of my few clients, but it wasn’t hard to forget I was her prisoner. The moonlight played across her features, casting one side of her face into darkness. Her amber eyes shined through the darkness. They positively glowed, but not with joy. They cried out with sadness at what she had lost.

“Jaune… you have to help me. You saw what they did to her.” In an instant I was there again. I could smell it. Taste it. Bile rose in my throat. “Velvet isn’t…” Leone choked off. It took several long seconds for her to find the strength to continue. “…wasn’t like the rest of us. She wouldn’t hurt a fly even if it landed on her nose. She was so good. We were her family. And those bastards killed her! You have to help me find them.”

It didn’t matter that she had a gun. That she’d come in here and threatened me. That she was a career criminal. The agony in her broken voice was very real. Sitting there, half in the shadows, her arms half hugging herself, she looked so small. So vulnerable. So… lost.

I didn’t have a choice. I hated having so many sisters sometimes. I just couldn’t say no to a girl in trouble. Those weren’t tears glittering at the edge of her eyes, were they?  They couldn’t have been.

I made to stand, hesitating only a moment when she didn’t react. “I trust my friend,” I said slowly, unconsciously falling into my habit of pacing. I did trust Penny, and I would until irrevocably proven otherwise. “And I want to help you. But I’m not sure I can. All this,” I waved my hand around, “isn’t me. I’m just an investigator who got hired to get someone’s possessions back. I didn’t know any of this would happen.”

The amber eyes filled with doubt as they tracked me around the room. “Really? I suppose you don’t even realise who you’re working for?”

 _What? What did she mean by that?_ “Weiss.”

Leone barked out a laugh. It was a cruel one. “We don’t take jobs randomly. She’s not quite as innocent or perfect as she appears. Ask her who her father is sometime, then you might have an idea of who you were getting involved with.”

I didn’t know what to think. Who to believe. Surely Weiss couldn’t be involved in all this? She ran a charity. She wasn’t a criminal. She couldn’t be. My instincts couldn’t have proved so wrong.

“What do you mean by that?”

Leone shook her head. “That’s for you to find out. Whether you like it or not, you are involved. You got picked up by the police. I found your name; don’t you think the people who did this can as well? Maybe they’ll think you saw something. I don’t need to spell out what they’ll do to you. Your only chance is to help me.”

 _Damn_. I recognised when I was getting played. Leone had first threatened me, then appealed to my sense of compassion, and now she was addressing my sense of self-preservation. The annoying thing was, even if I recognised her tactics, they still worked.

“Who is this Torchwick? Why is he after you?”

“He likes to think of himself as a businessman, but he’s not really. He’s a thug, though one who’s managed to get promoted. He runs the mafia in this part of town. The Italian mafia if you want to be specific.”

The mafia? Like _The Godfather_? Just what had Weiss gotten me involved in? I was in so far over my head. I dealt with cheating spouses, not mobsters.

“As for why he’s done this? I don’t know.” She carefully maintained eye contact. It didn’t matter. I knew.

“This isn’t going to work if you lie to me. I already don’t want to be involved. Don’t give me an excuse to walk away.”

Her eyes narrowed. I wasn’t even sure if she’d let me just walk. “I don’t know,” she reiterated, exaggerating every word. “He hired us to steal and decrypt some data. It wasn’t as hard as it should have been.” She noticed my raised eyebrow. “It doesn’t matter how good your encryption is, the weakest link is always the human link. Anyway, he hired us, paid us, we delivered. It’s professional courtesy in business.”

A cold wind swept into the room. Or at least I’m claiming that as the reason why I shivered. It definitely had nothing to do with the change in Leone’s expression. I’d never seen that much hatred in someone’s eyes.

“And then I come back to the safe house to find… To find Velvet like that. I don’t know what Torchwick wanted. Maybe he thought we were holding out on him, or maybe he was just tying up loose ends, but I recognise his handiwork. Or at least his little sidekick’s. You saw what they did to her. I can tell you they enjoyed it. Just as I’m going to enjoy what I do to them.”

There was no exaggeration there. No boasting. It wasn’t an idle threat said before friends after a slight. Leone meant every word. If she caught up with Torchwick, she wasn’t going to the police.

“Leone… I…” I looked at her. Weighing up the darkness in her expression against the light I’d seen earlier, judging how to word this. “This isn’t me. Any of this. I’m not a gangster or a criminal. I’m just a PI. Not even a very good one.”

“And yet you managed to find our safe house when even the police couldn’t. Find him.”

“I can’t. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“That’s your problem.”

“I don’t want to be involved.” The childish whine escaped from me, but the sentiment behind it wasn’t childish in the slightest.

Leone glared at me. “I told you, you’re already involved whether you like it or not. Torchwick will be coming for you. You have two choices, you can try and run. You probably won’t get far. Or you can help us, help me, and we’ll make sure he won’t be a problem any longer. That’s it Jaune. Option one. Option two. You’re going to have to choose.”

“I could go to the police.”

She laughed straight in my face. “You really weren’t kidding about this not being you. You do realise the police are corrupt, right? Half of them around here take handouts. If you go to the police, the best scenario is you’ll be put in protective custody, and then, when you’re nice and safe, you’ll fall down the stairs, or get scared and hang yourself, or shoot yourself twice in the back of the head. A tragedy, but not an uncommon one.”

Without realising it, Leone had struck a little too close to home. Cardin had threatened some of those very things earlier. I knew my friends were clean, but it would have been naïve to assume the whole force was.

While I thought, the anger that had temporarily doused Leone’s sadness retreated. When she spoke, it was softly again. “I’m not going to force you Jaune. And I’m not going to threaten you. I shouldn’t have earlier. I’m sorry.” The apology was entirely unexpected. It didn’t make up for pointing a gun at me, but I nodded anyway. “I thought you were involved. You have nothing to fear from me. But you have lots to fear from Torchwick. Think about that.” I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it.

Leone scribbled a number on an off-brand Post-it. “If you need to get into contact with me. And it’s burner, so don’t get any clever ideas.” After the decisions that had landed me in this mess, I never wanted to be clever again.

I had the distinct impression this was leading up to a goodbye. I couldn’t let her depart not yet. While she was here, and apparently didn’t want to kill me, there was one question that I had to ask even if I feared the consequences.

“Can I have the music box back?”

Leone tilted her head to the side and just stared. Her eyes were piercing. “Did you just ask a thief whether she would un-steal something?”

My cheeks began to burn. Said like that, I must have sounded rather stupid. “I just thought…”

“Thought that we’d become friends and I’d do anything for you?”

“No, nothing like that.”

“You’re forgetting Jaune, I’m a criminal. I need that box.”

“I know you need to sell it, but I’m sure Weiss could pay more. Just let me ask her for an offer.”

“No.” Judging by her voice, the matter was closed. “You’ll just have to consider this case the one that got away I’m afraid.”

She slid off the desk—as graceful as a cat. Her nickname was well-earned. Her pistol bulged from the waistband of her pants. Leone paused as if a thought had just occurred. “You got interviewed at the station, right?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “What did you tell them about me?”

I tried to keep a very straight face as my thoughts raced. She hadn’t shown me the pistol by accident. She’d seen me looking, and now she chose to ask me this. I peered into her eyes, trying to guess what answer she wanted. I decided for the simplest, even as my abs clenched in expectation.

“I told them that you were there. What you looked like.”

The breath captured in my lungs escaped as Leone smiled. “I find the truth is always best between _friends_. I wouldn’t have expected you to do anything else. It won’t help them. It was a good choice not to lie. Now let’s hope that you make another one. Her name was Velvet, remember that.” Leone just had to twist that knife. I’d never be able to forget.

She backed to the door. She could talk of trust and friends as much as she liked, but she didn’t trust me enough to take her eyes off me. The lock clicked again. Such a small sound, but it was an echo of my impending freedom. Or at least I hoped it was.

“Goodbye Jaune. Perhaps we’ll meet again.”

I hoped not. God, I hoped not. I wanted to wake up and find out this entire day had been a horrific nightmare. “Bye Leone.” I could have sworn she gave that same small smile at her nickname.

It only took a foot of the shadows outside my office for her to vanish entirely. I was left staring at the hall, wondering if she hadn’t been a figment of my tired imagination. That would have been a pleasant wish, but a hopeless one. A figment of my imagination wouldn’t have left adrenaline and fatigue fighting a war inside of me.

Fatigue won. I collapsed into my chair as my head fell into my hands. Forty eight hours ago my worries had consisted of money and ridicule. Now I’d had multiple guns pointed at me, was involved with criminals and mobsters, and had seen something which would likely haunt me to my grave. I didn’t know how my life had gone so badly, so suddenly, and I didn’t know what to do.

Through the gaps in my fingers, my eyes landed on one of my drawers. The one with the bottle in it. At this precise moment, a drink seemed like a very good idea. It was even what a doctor would prescribe. Some alcohol to calm the nerves.

My hands trembled so badly that I was barely able to unscrew the top and a finger ended up on my desk. I left it there as I stared into the murky brown liquid. Despite appearances, I wasn't an alcoholic. The drink had never had any power over me. I simply drank to pass the time and make my worries seem slightly smaller.

I wasn’t sure if these problems could get any smaller. Or that I wanted their importance to diminish in my mind. Leone had said I had a choice make, when in fact I had several. The burning scent of the whisky that had proved so appetising before made me feel sick. I needed something else a lot more than alcohol. Something that would help me far more.

I reached for my phone. I almost missed her in my contacts, but I soon heard the voice I needed to hear.

“Jaune?” Ruby said, her tone worried. “Is everything ok?”

“Could I stay at your place tonight?”

 


	7. Chapter 7

"So," Ruby said over the crunch of her toast. "Run it past me again."

We were sitting at the table in her small kitchen. An estate agent would have called it cosy, but I just thought it had character. It had been Ruby's first place without roommates, and she'd decorated it lovingly and to her personal tastes. That meant there was a lot of red.

I sipped my coffee, the rich blend hitting all the right spots for my tired brain. Ruby makes a mean batch, but then I'm pretty sure that's in the entrance exam for the NYPD. All the cops I knew were coffee aficionados. Well, that and donuts, but don't let them hear you spreading the stereotypes.

"Criminal gangs, robberies, the mafia, and corrupt cops." Coming here had been the right decision. I could joke about it now. Not that my humour was appreciated. As always.

Ruby eyed me. "I didn't ask for the abridged version."

"I've already told you everything." I had. It hadn't been much of a decision to confide in my best friend. Even if she was a cop, she was my friend first.

We hadn't actually talked last night. Upon arriving I hadn't been in a state to. As worried as she must have been, Ruby had sensed that I wouldn't have been able to face another interrogation. Instincts like that were what made her so special. She'd known I'd needed sleep, but more than that, she'd known I'd needed someone there for me.

She could have made me sleep on the sofa. She should have really, but that wasn't her. We'd shared her bed, and in her embrace and surrounded by the scent of strawberries, I'd managed to do the impossible and drift off.

I hadn't had a peaceful night, Velvet had visited me several times, and a faceless Torchwick several more. But Ruby had always been there to make soothing noises as I started awake, to stroke my hair and guide me back to sleep. She really was the best of people.

"You have," Ruby admitted, "but sometimes it helps to go over it again. You might remember something else."

Right. Taking a statement 101. Ruby was following her training and putting me through the ringer. I glared at her. She blushed.

"It really helps Jaune."

"I'm not some confused old lady who can't even describe the colour of the car involved in the accident."

"No… but you have to admit that a whole lot has happened to you in a very short period of time. There's bound to be some details that have got lost amongst all the mess. They might be important." She bit her lip, unable to keep the concern from her voice. "If you're not going to listen to my advice, they might help you."

Her advice… No prizes for guessing what it had been. She was a cop through and through, and cops bunched together in times of crisis. She was certain that they would be able to protect me. I was certain that one in the bunch would be holding a knife ready to plunge into my back. My money was on Cardin.

"Ruby, it's good advice, but can you honestly say you trust every single officer in your station? In the city?"

That was a low blow. It hurt her. As much as she loved the badge, the uniform, and everything it represented, even someone as trusting as her couldn't say that. There were always bad apples amongst the orchard of good ones. Always those who abused the power they were granted.

"I can put you with those I know aren't corrupt." It was a stubborn response and an ultimately untruthful one.

"We both know you can't." Ruby was just a uniform. She didn't make the decisions. "I'd be passed to the feds the moment I told anyone what I know."

"Maybe that's good."

"Feds are people too. Some of them will be in the mafia's pocket as well."

"Then what are we going to do?"

'We', not you. Ruby would never have considered, even with the danger, of allowing me to face this on my own. She would have my back all the way. I couldn't even begin to describe how that felt.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe go and see Penny again."

Ruby pursed her lips. My confession as to Penny's involvement had not gone over well. She was friends with Penny in spite of her criminal tendencies. As a cop, she did her very best to pretend they didn't exist. That Penny was apparently further into the underworld than she had let on, or that I actively encouraged her, was going to get us both a stern talking to the next time we were all together.

"Will it help?" I could practically hear the words grating against her teeth at the thought of suggesting anything illegal.

"I don't know. Maybe?" I had my hopes, but there was always the chance that Penny wouldn't return my messages after she found out what happened.

"That's not a very good plan Jaune."

I nodded. It wasn't. In fact it sucked. Not that I was able to come up with a better one. In the movies this was normally the point where a brick with a note came flying through the window. That or a grenade. I sincerely hoped neither would land in my cereal.

"And how does your client fit into this?" Ruby asked. "You never explained that."

"You mean Weiss?"

"Yes." Ruby was wearing what I described as her cop face. The one which gave absolutely nothing away. "What's her involvement?"

Once again I was forced to admit I didn't know. That's pretty galling for someone who calls themselves a detective, but at the moment I was having trouble working out what day of the week it was.

"My gut says she's just a victim."

Ruby raised her eyebrow. "Does your gut say that? Or something else?" She looked down through the table at an area below my beltline. Even though there was half an inch of wood between us, I instinctively covered my crotch.

"Haha… very funny. Weren't you saying I should ask her out?"

"That was before she got you involved with the mafia. And what about Leone's warning? Let's face it Jaune, you've never been the most sensible person in the room when you see a short skirt."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby didn't rise to my irritation. "You know exactly what it means. You're much more likely to trust a pretty girl than you are a guy." She held up a hand to stop my denial. "I don't blame you. It's human instinct. But maybe you need to think with something other than your dick here. She came to you, and now you're involved in all of this. Maybe there's more to her than just a pretty face."

I wanted to argue, but I couldn't. Ruby spoke far too much sense. As always. She had the annoying habit of doing that. At the time, Weiss had seemed far too good to be true. And there was a universal law when someone seemed that way.

"I hate you," I said, but without venom. Ruby smiled, dimples appearing in her cheeks. She had great ones. Probably the best of anyone I knew. When Ruby smiled, she really smiled. She could light up a whole room. It was practically contagious.

"Just because I'm right."

"Yes." I drummed my fingers on the table, settling on a decision. "Maybe Weiss is involved. I don't think so, but there's an easy way to find out."

"You're going to ask her?"

"Yeah. I know where she works."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

I laughed. "What, you think I need a bodyguard to see the scary Russian lady?"

"Jaune, stop joking around. This is serious."

"Ruby, you have work."

"I can call in sick."

"No. I'm not going to make you lie. I'll be fine." I was sure about that… quite sure… fifty percent sure. "I'll text you when I'm done."

"No you'll text me every half an hour." Ruby put her foot down. Quite literally. But the effect was somewhat ruined by the fact she wasn't wearing any shoes. Just the slap of a bare sole on tiles. "Otherwise I'm going to be worrying all day." She would regardless. We both knew it.

"I will, but speaking of work," the clock behind Ruby's head was one I should have paid attention to earlier. "You're going to be late."

Ruby snapped her head around. "Shit!" It wasn't often I managed to catch Ruby swearing. Not like Yang. It was kind of cute in a way. Ruby jumped up and ran to her bedroom. "I'm blaming you for this," she shouted over her shoulder.

"I'll buy you a beer." Ruby wasn't really late, or at least she probably wouldn't be if she jogged.

It only took her a couple of minutes to get changed out of her pyjamas. I didn't have to get changed; I was still wearing the clothes Ruby had brought to the station yesterday. They were starting to smell. Even if she was running late, I had to say it before we left.

"Ruby, thank you." I didn't know what would have happened if she hadn't picked up the phone last night.

"Don't mention it. You would have done the same for me."

"And about yesterday morning…"

"Don't mention it," Ruby said again, this time much more sternly. She'd already forgiven me. She was like that. Far too good for her own good. It got her burned sometimes. "And remember Jaune, every half an hour. And if you need help, just call. Even if I'm on duty."

I nodded and held out my fist. Ruby bumped it. Together we left her apartment. Like I said, she really was the best of people.

* * *

Weiss might have worked for a charity, but it didn't mean that she worked in a poky old office in a dilapidated building. I might have had a chance of fitting in if she had. As it was, the other bankers and lawyers in the lift gave me sidelong glances out of the corner of their eyes. Even though I'd changed into one of my best shirts, they probably thought I shouldn't have been allowed within fifty feet of the skyscraper.

People like them were far too hung up on appearances. I understood first impression and all that, but how many of them could honestly say wearing a tailored suit helps when they're sat in front of a computer all day? No one liked dressing formally. It's far too much hassle. That's why you don't wear a ball gown to bed. They only dressed that way because their bosses told them to. And their bosses only told them to because they'd been told to. Me, I had no boss. I much preferred it that way. It saved me a whole lot on dry-cleaning.

You can normally tell the cost of renting in a building by the elevators. The one that served my office clanked and you were never quite sure if it would be your last trip in it. Weiss' was so quiet and smooth I was barely able to notice that it was moving; the only indication was the rapidly increasing floor number.

Weiss' office wasn't quite at the top, but it was near. When I'd found out the address I'd done a double take. I couldn't imagine how much it was costing or how the charity could afford something like that. Well that wasn't quite true. There were always some charities whose operating expenses counted for ninety-five percent of their income and whose directors were paid six figure salaries. Looking around at the gleaming reception, I was forced to admit I might have been wrong about Weiss. Maybe she didn't run a charity more that she ran a scam.

The receptionist behind the white desk was pretty, with long dark hair and immaculately applied makeup. Behind her the mural on the wall stated the goals of the Clearwater Prospects: _A world with safe and clean drinking water for all_. A noble goal, but maybe they should have started by not spending this much on appearances.

"Good morning sir, are you lost?"

Great… what a way to start. Her voice was friendly and warm, but obviously someone like me couldn't have any business with the charity.

"No, actually I'm here to see Ms Schnee." The receptionist probably could have looked more surprised if she tried, but it would have been a close call.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No."

"Well, I'm afraid Ms Schnee is extremely busy."

"She'll want to see me, just ask her."

"Umm…" I was putting her on the spot. No one wants to interrupt their boss, but there was always the chance that I might have been important. Maybe an eccentric millionaire looking to donate. I could only wish. "May I take your name please sir?"

"It's Jaune Arc. Tell her that there have been developments." 'Developments' was putting it mildly. 'Developments' was a new lead or angle to try. 'Developments' shouldn't have included getting a gun pointed at me multiple times or the mafia.

The receptionist spoke into her phone briefly, moving it slightly away from her ear as she had to explain herself. With a red face she put it down and turned towards me. "Ms Schnee is currently on a call. She's invited you to wait and will see you after."

"And how long will I have to wait?" My tone wasn't exactly friendly. I had the distinct feeling I was getting played. I shouldn't have taken my irritation out on the innocent, but I couldn't help it.

"Perhaps twenty minutes, maybe sooner."

I sized up the double glass doors leading deeper into the office, wondering whether the receptionist would call the cops if I ignored her and just walked straight through them. Maybe. And there was always the chance—looking ever smaller by the moment—that Weiss was on the level. Oh… and adding another trespassing charge to my outstanding one probably wasn't the smartest idea in the world.

I took a seat. I'm sure the white leather chairs were as uncomfortable as my body reported, and it wasn't just my annoyance boiling over. Fashionable and comfortable weren't synonymous. Weiss really shouldn't have made me wait. It only gave me time for my irritation to ferment and turn into something even more potent. The receptionist noticed. The repetitive clacks of her typing slowed as she shot me looks over her monitor every five seconds. I'm sure her hand was hovering over a secret security button.

It was more like thirty minutes when Weiss finally deigned to see me—I did remember to text Ruby. The receptionist led me through the office. Even the sight of her ass wobbling in front of me on far too high heels failed to put a dent in my mood. Her relief at palming the surly visitor onto someone else was almost audible.

If I didn't know what Weiss did for a living, I would have said she was a director at an investment bank. Her office had the look. A corner office—naturally—with glass furniture that could only be described as modern and hip, and far, far too much white; apart from a few light blues, it was the only colour in the room. The woman seriously had a problem.

Not that the colour didn't work for her. Even pissed off as much as I was, the vision that was Weiss Schnee made my pulse race. She was truly stunning. If she wasn't moving I would have said she'd been airbrushed. As it was, she really did look that good. My crotch did its best to make its opinion known. Maybe this was the part that made Ruby say I didn't handle myself entirely sensibly around pretty girls. And Weiss was a damn sight more than pretty.

She rose from her chair, a breathtaking smile on her face, and walked towards me, one smooth pale leg crossing over the other. I had to work very hard not to stare. Why did she have to look this good? Why couldn't she have been ugly, or at least average? I could have coped with average.

"Jaune, it's good to see you again." She held out her hand. "I'm sorry about making you wait, it was my treasurer."

Societal expectations meant that the outstretched hand gave me only one option. I wished there was another one, I really didn't want to know what would happen to my libido if I was forced to touch the perfection of Weiss again.

I soon found out. It wasn't that bad. My nose didn't start bleeding when her manicured fingers met my palm. My legs didn't give way when they traced my skin with the softest touch. Her lips so close and yet so far called out to me; a part of me suggested leaning in and screw the consequences. I wanted to listen to it so badly. My head spun as her perfume washed over me. I don't think I'd ever encountered a fragrance like it.

Weiss left me dazed and befuddled as she let go of my rather limp handshake. Time and longing were said to be the best of bedfellows. Weiss hadn't affected me this badly the first time we'd met, but the days since had allowed her to sink into my mind. I was forced to admit, I might just have a bit of crush.

"So what are the developments?" Weiss gestured for me to take a seat. "Do you want any refreshments?"

As Weiss turned her back I shook my head. She must have known the effect her appearance had on people; there was no way she'd reduced me to this state accidentally. Then there was her manner. She was acting friendly, as if she had nothing to worry about. It set my alarm bells ringing. I couldn't afford to trust her even if she could make the Pope question his vows.

"Just water please." I took the seat. It wasn't any more comfortable than the one in the lobby. Of course Weiss didn't get me the water herself. A few moments later the receptionist entered with a tray. Water for me, coffee for her, and I bet you it wasn't off-brand.

"So…" Weiss looked at me over the top of her steaming mug.

The best use of the ice-cold water would have been to tip it over my head. As it was, I had to make do with sipping it. It bought me the time to remember why I had come here. Weiss might have put models to shame, but even Leone had warned me of her.

"I want to know what you've got me caught up in."

"Excuse me?" Ever so fine lines appeared on her brow at my curt tone.

"Do you know what's happened to me since I started working on your case?" I didn't wait for an answer. "I've been assaulted. I've had multiple guns pointed at me. I've had someone break into my office and threaten to kill me." With every listed injustice I'd suffered, my awe of Weiss dissipated. "I've been arrested for homicide. I've seen the body of someone who'd been murdered in a way you don't even want to know. And now the mafia want me dead. All because I took your case." I glared at her.

"Jaune," her tone was concerned, worried. I wasn't buying it. Not anymore. "I had no idea about any of that."

"Bullshit!" My outburst actually made her jump. It seemed the perfect Weiss Schnee was actually on the back foot. "Don't give me that. The person who threatened to kill me, she warned me against you. Why?"

"I… I don't know."

"Why don't I help you then. Who's your father? Is that him?"

I pointed to a picture on Weiss' desk. It was one of the few things that wasn't white. Not that anyone within was wearing another colour. I guessed the two young girls and were Weiss and her sister, there was a brother there as well, and the remaining two people must have been her parents. They were all smiling happily. The beautiful perfect family.

"My father?"

"Yes. Your father. Who is he? Why was I told to ask you?"

She might have been off-balance, but steel returned to her spine with every word I uttered. I'd pushed her too far. She probably wasn't used to anyone speaking to her in the manner I had.

"I don't see how that is any concern of yours." The temperature of her voice matched her surname.

I'd worked myself up into too much of a state to be intimidated. "Really? You might not be saying that if you've had guns pointed at you."

"That was neither my doing nor my fault." She placed her palms flat on the table, heedless of the smudges they were leaving. "You are the investigator here. You must have instigated it."

"Really? Funny that, I've never had my life threatened before. Not until I took this case."

"Well you are free to relinquish it. I see now that I was a fool to even consider employing someone like you. I assume you'll be returning my deposit?"

Damn… that was a low blow. She'd just kicked me in the metaphorical nuts. She'd seen the bills in my office. She knew my financial situation. She must have known that the moment her check had cleared I'd used it the funds to clear the most pressing of my outstanding debts. I couldn't even begin to return it. She smirked with the enjoyment of someone who'd never had to worry about money. It was the first aspect of her which appeared ugly.

"No?"

"I can't," I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Well then we seem to have reached an impasse. You accepted my money and you have yet to show me anything which remotely resembles a result."

"Don't you care that you've almost gotten me killed?" I couldn't believe I'd ever fallen for her pretty face.

She closed her eyes for a heartbeat. "I do care, but you knew the risks when you took this case."

"I did not know the fucking risks!" I was shouting but I didn't give a flying fuck.

"And I assure you that they are not my creation." Weiss didn't quite shout, the act was probably beneath her, but she did raise her voice. "I do not know why any of this has happened. I am not involved."

"If that's true who's your father? Why wasn't I able to find anything about you or your family online?"

"Because it's safer not to have an online presence."

"What?" I didn't understand that. Sure you shouldn't go plastering your address all over the net, but that was paranoia in the extreme.

"If you must know, my father is a billionaire. All my life I've grown up with the risk of being kidnapped and ransomed. It's safer that no one knows about him or me."

 _Billionaire._ That put things in perspective. Suddenly Weiss' appearance and even this expensive office made sense. Millionaires were one thing; you rubbed shoulders with them a lot in New York. Hell anyone with a two bedroom apartment was likely one. Billionaires were a whole different animal.

But it wasn't the thought of more money than I could shake a stick at that cut through my anger. Instead it was what I'd heard just under the surface of Weiss' voice. In those brief syllables, I'd heard a lifetime of fear. How could she have had even the remotest chance of a normal childhood with that threat hanging over her? As annoyed as I was, looking at her and the shadow behind her eyes, I felt sorry for her. How ridiculous was that? Sorry for the person who'd probably grown up in a mansion or a castle. Or maybe even both.

"I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. That's the way it's meant to be." Weiss looked down at her hands.

"But you have to help me. Why was I told to ask you who he is?"

Weiss shrugged. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense."

"Well can you tell me about him? Anything might help." I was probably pushing into dangerous territory again, but I needed information if I was going to make sense of any of this. Weiss hesitated. "Please."

"I don't see how that would help. My father's currently in Moscow."

"It might. Who is he?"

"He's my father," Weiss said as if it should be the end of it. She was hiding something.

"Weiss, please. How did he gain his fortune?"

Weiss transferred her gaze to the window, one hand playing with her hair, winding the tip of the ponytail around a finger again and again. Eventually she spoke, never breaking her gaze from the city far below.

"You should know he's German. My mother's Russian. But he lived in East Berlin during the Cold War. He was a member of the KGB."

I swallowed. Hard. Though it was fair to say that the CIA and the KGB had gone toe to toe throughout much of the Cold War, the KGB had been the one to develop a reputation for brutality. There was a reason why no one had dared to take Russian hostages until recently.

"A high ranking member," Weiss continued. "When the Soviet Union broke up, he did what all the other high ranking officials did. He took advantage of the chaos. That's how he made his fortune. He raped the state along with Putin, Abramovich, and all the rest. Unlike most, he's still friends with the President."

 _Fantastic._ This was just getting better by the moment. The mafia suddenly didn't seem that bad. At least they hadn't permanently put me off sushi.

Weiss shook her head slowly, regret coming into her voice. "I won't pretend that my father is a good man. He has no doubt done many things that were wrong. But he loves me, and I love him."

She did. She really did. The sad fact about family is no one can choose it. Some people got dealt a bad hand. For whatever type of man her father may have been, it didn't appear as if Weiss had.

"Thank you for telling me." Not that it helped. I failed to see how Weiss' father was caught up in all of this, especially if he was currently in Moscow. Maybe Leone had tried to distract me, or had just given me a general warning not to piss Weiss off. Which, as my stomach dropped, I realised I had. I sincerely hoped she wouldn't be putting in a call to daddy about an annoying private investigator who had been mean to her.

"So you see why I have nothing to do with any of this. All I wanted was my music box back. I didn't know you would get threatened. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you. You can keep the money."

Had she really just said that? Said that I could walk away with fifteen grand? Her dad might have been a billionaire but still. Even if it wasn't the full fifty, the fifteen had sorted out a lot of my problems. I would still have to figure out how to handle the mafia, but I would be scot-free.

And Weiss would never get the music box her mother had given her back. Looking at her staring forlornly out of the window, I knew I couldn't just walk away. Despite everything that had happened, it wouldn't have sat right with me. I had to at least try again.

"I'm not going to give up."

Her head snapped around, her ponytail flicking out behind her. "What?"

"I said I'm not going to give up."

Her shoulders squared. "I don't want you getting hurt for me."

"Weiss, you paid me to find your music box. That's what I'm going to do."

"I said you could keep the money. My music box isn't worth dying over."

I almost said 'It is'. I probably would have said it in the corniest accent I could manage. I was glad that my mouth had decided to check with my brain for once. I wasn't some action hero. The box wasn't worth dying over, neither was the money; my life was worth far more than that. Or at least it had been the last time I'd checked.

"I know." I nodded. I was being stubborn, but cases like these were why I had become an investigator in the first place. "You asked for my help. And you asked for me to do my best. I don't feel like I've done that yet."

Weiss was silent for a time as she stared into my eyes. Her own were startlingly blue. They had been in my dingy office. In her pristine one they were even more so. I didn't quite know what they reminded me off. The clear ocean, sapphires, the sky? Nothing quite cut it.

"I'm not going to be able to persuade you differently am I?" she said finally.

"Nope."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not used to not getting my own way."

I could guess that. The beautiful daughter of a billionaire ex-spy. I bet she only had to snap her fingers to be handed whatever she desired in that moment. "You'll have to get used to it." I grinned, showing my teeth.

Weiss smiled slightly, her eyes twinkling. "Please be careful."

"I will." Despite my bravado, I was. I didn't quite know what I was going to do, but now I knew to take precautions. Stuff like texting Ruby. Sure it was annoying, but it was safer than not doing so. The meeting had come to its natural conclusion, but something still bugged me.

I picked up the picture on Weiss' desk. Her whole family was beautiful, as was the frame. I would be surprised if Weiss owned anything that wasn't. "I feel like I should admit I failed your first test. I never found out your sister's name."

I was surprised as anyone when Weiss smiled. "Good."

"What?"

"You weren't meant to be able to find anything. I told you, we don't have much of an online presence. My sister has an even smaller one than me. If you had found something it would have meant she was really slipping."

"Right… good, I guess." I wasn't quite sure how I felt about being used as a test. Still, my curiosity had been roused. "But what's her name?"

Weiss took the picture from my fingers and looked at her family. A myriad of emotions flickered over her face. Longing, regret, sadness, but most of all love. Eventually she looked up at me. "She's called Winter."

"Winter? Winter Schnee." I tried not to laugh and Weiss tried with me. We managed it. Just.

"Yes. Like I said, I think I probably got off easier."

Well… that was a matter of opinion. White and Winter Snow. I couldn't really choose which was more embarrassing. "Maybe."

Weiss sighed. "My parents were never able to give us a straight answer. They only said the names fit."

"They do." That time my mouth hadn't checked with my brain. Weiss raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, inviting me to jump into the pit I'd just dug. "I mean. Your hair, your skin, everything about you really. Now I know, I couldn't imagine you with another name. You deserve something unique."

God damn… I was sure that was the second time I'd made Weiss blush. "That's nice of you to say so." She stood. No doubt I'd made her uncomfortable. Way to go Jaune. "Remember what I said, you can have the money anyway. Don't do anything dangerous."

I took her offered hand. Despite the ending, I was leaving in a much better position than I'd entered the building in. Then I'd been angry and worried that Weiss hadn't been telling me the whole truth, that my gut instincts about her had been wrong.

Now I knew they hadn't been. Weiss hadn't lied to me, and I was almost certain she wasn't involved in any of this. On a professional level that would have made it a thoroughly satisfying meeting, but we hadn't stayed strictly on the professional level. Weiss had entrusted me with knowledge about her, knowledge that she didn't share with just anyone. We'd made a connection. I couldn't quantify it, but I could feel it. We were closer than we had been before.

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Don't worry. I'm not an idiot." We broke apart.

It was only when I reached the door did the faintest whisper reach my ears. "Yes you are."

I looked over my shoulder, but Weiss had returned to her emails. I shook my head. I must have imagined it.


	8. Chapter 8

I'm sure most would have called it loitering—especially the majority of cops that gave me dirty looks—but I wasn't loitering. At least not with intent. Instead I was waiting for Ruby to finish her shift. If there was one aspect that sucked about all my friends being cops, it was that my life seemed to revolve around the station.

I didn't deserve the looks. It wasn't like I was a criminal… well, as long as you weren't too concerned with mere technicalities. I wasn't a career criminal. Stuff just happened and none of it was my fault. Most of it. But none of that mattered to the cops. As far as the majority were concerned, I was someone they needed to keep an eye on.

My phone buzzed. I didn't need to look at it to guess who it was. Ruby and I had exchanged hundreds of messages over the past day. Kind of a necessity when I was still required to report my continued aliveness every half an hour.

_Ten minutes._ It could have been worse. It wasn't too long. I fired back a reply.

_Ok, right outside._

When I looked up I saw a familiar blonde head appearing in the door. Yang froze as she recognised me. There was a moment when either of us could have walked away. We hadn't talked since the arrest. I'd meant to call her, see her, but I'd always managed to find an excuse to do something else.

I didn't blame her, just… it was awkward. In all honesty the less I thought about what I'd seen on that day, the better. I took a deep breath, mustering the courage I would need. It was good thing she was coming towards me. I wouldn't have been able to go the other way.

"Hey Jaune." Yang's tone was light and care-free, deliberately so. We could have just been running into each other in a trendy café after a weekend break.

"Hey." I tried to match her tone. I didn't quite manage it. A robot would have sounded more natural.

"Look Jaune about—"

"No," I cut across her. "You were doing your job. You didn't have a choice. I understand that."

Yang swept her fingers through her bangs, tossing her hair back. "Yeah. For what it's worth, I didn't think you'd done it. Not really."

"I know." I was pretty sure she was lying. I'd seen the look in her eyes. Seeing me in that room, anyone would have jumped to conclusions.

"Well…" Yang looked away. This was about as awkward as I could possibly have imagined it. "I had to follow protocol," she added limply.

"Yang, I said I know. I'm not holding anything against you. So are we cool?" I held out my fist.

"Yeah, we're cool." She bumped it a lot harder than most would do. Often she didn't quite realise her own strength. Though being the cool dude I am, I just about stopped myself from sucking my knuckles.

"Good. Are you up for some D&D on Saturday?"

"Umm…" Yang's smile wavered ever so slightly.

D&D wasn't quite her scene. Unlike the rest of my friends, Yang actually had street cred. She joined in our nerdy games because she knew we enjoyed them. Though I'm sure most of the time she did as well, I was also sure she would have preferred spending time with us doing something else.

"What the hell, who needs to go to the gym anyway? I guess it's at Ren's at the normal time?"

"Yeah. Ruby's bringing the beer." And I guess that after everything, I really should as well.

"Sounds like a blast. If I don't catch you again before then I'll see you there."

"Definitely." We didn't hug. Yang was a hugger, but not so much for me. Only for people she really cared about. I didn't mind. We'd always been that way and we were still friends. "Where are you off to?" I thought I knew. With the bag slung over her shoulder, I would have torn my Investigator's licence in half if I had gotten it wrong. Well I would have, if not for the fact it was laminated.

"The gym. I've got a one-on-one sparring session booked. I'll have to work twice as hard if I'm missing my Saturday session."

Yang mimed a lightning one-two. She was into MMA and in a big way. At the moment she fought in the amateur leagues, but after watching her and seeing her steadily climb up the rankings, most of us thought she had a good shot at going professional. I really wouldn't recommend messing with either her or Ruby. Nor their dad. They'd inherited their love of beating people up from somewhere.

"I better not keep you th—"

"I thought you rushed out because you had the gym?" Ruby had managed to sneak up on both of us.

"Still do." Yang smiled at her sister. Ruby shot one straight back. Even after almost my entire life, I loved seeing them together. If only everyone could have a sibling like those two had. The world would be a much better place. "I guess I found out why Jaune was loitering."

I glared at her. My reputation is as unfounded as it is unfair. Ruby giggled. Yang always needled me a little more in Ruby's presence. I didn't mind it so much as long as Ruby enjoyed the banter. It was all good natured. And I was certain Ruby was enjoying the knowledge that there was no rift between her best friend and her sister.

"I was not loitering. I was waiting."

"Whatever you say. So have you two got any plans?"

"We're going clubbing," Ruby said.

I almost wish Yang had been drinking in that very moment. She would have sprayed the pair of us.

"You two? You're going clubbing? On a Wednesday?"

To be honest her surprise was entirely rational. As much as Yang's scene wasn't really D&D, mine wasn't in an expensive club where they exclusively played shitty music too loudly.

"Yep," Ruby chirped. She really shouldn't have sounded so happy about it.

Yang shook her head. "Well I hope you're not planning on going like that?"

"What? Why?" Ruby played at the hem of her old T-shirt as she toed the ground. When she spoke, it sounded like tears were moments away. "Don't you think it suits me?"

"No, no." Yang held up her hands as she backpedalled. "Of course it suits you. It's just…" she trailed off as the first hint of a grin slipped through Ruby's act. "I fucking hate you sometimes." Yang spun on her heel and walked off just as Ruby burst out laughing. I joined in.

"Enjoy the gym," Ruby called after her sister. Yang stuck her middle finger over her shoulder. It was an admission of defeat as well as a unique goodbye.

"She is right though," Ruby said when Yang was out of earshot. "I do need to change. Shall we head back to my place first?"

"Sure."

"You look good by the way."

My cheeks heated ever so slightly. I hated receiving compliments; even ones I knew were genuine. "Thanks." I suppose I had made an effort. I was wearing a shirt—freshly ironed I might add—and chinos. I'd even ran a comb through my hair for all the good it did me. It still looked like a bird's nest.

"I'm sure you will as well." I wanted to put my fist in my mouth the moment I'd spoken. Or for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. What was that supposed to mean? A fifth-grader could have done better.

Before I could beat myself up too much Ruby spoke. "I guess you'll just have to find out won't you?"

* * *

I did find out. Ruby did look good. If by good you meant freaking hot. As her best friend, I could say that to her without it being weird. I had no doubt she'd be turning heads tonight. It wasn't at all surprising really. Most would consider Ruby's face 'cute', and when you were in as good a shape as she was, it was a winning combination.

Of course the clothes helped. She'd ditched her usual jeans. She'd even ditched her tights and leggings. In their place she wore what could only be described as a little black dress. I hadn't seen it before. Judging by the faint remainders of more serious creases, it was likely new.

Ruby had done a little twirl when emerging from her bedroom, the flared skirt lifting up from her toned thighs. Even as good as she looked, her playful confidence had been feigned. I'd been able to tell. She'd been relying on me to tell her the truth, and I had. However awkward it had been for me. Ruby looked fantastic.

She didn't often get dressed up—well neither did I—there weren't really occasions for it, but when she did she went all out. The only part of her attire that I'd recognised had been her shoes. They were black flats. Ruby had never liked heels much. It wasn't that she couldn't walk in them, more that she didn't think they were worth the discomfort. In all honesty, she didn't need them. Not judging by the looks she was getting from the group of boys behind us in the line for the club.

We shuffled forwards as I glanced out the corner of my eye at her. If anything I would have said she was enjoying the attention. Well, I guess everyone felt satisfaction in knowing they were sexy. And if any of them tried something untoward, I would be there like the white knight I was… to wipe the blood from Ruby's knuckles. She could handle anything thrown her way.

As we reached the bouncers with matching black suits and red ties at the front of the line, we encountered one of the most blatant pieces of sexism imaginable. Not that Ruby gave them a piece of her mind, she just giggled as the bouncer stamped the back of her hand for free.

"Fifteen dollars." He didn't even have the common decency to look ashamed as he charged me. In fact he barely even noticed me, instead trying to keep hold of Ruby's attention. It somewhat dissipated as she took the crook of my arm. Her perfume washed over me, still strawberries of course, but something headier as well.

"I'll get the first round." Ruby laughed as we stepped through the door. I didn't begrudge her. Much. If I was a beautiful girl I was certain I'd play my looks for all they were worth. It's just a shame we lived in an unfair world. Where was equality of the sexes when you needed it? "Anyway, it's not like you can't afford it."

I actually could. It shocked the life out of me. Weiss' deposit had meant there were positive numbers in my bank account for once. They'd even reached the fabled four figures. I wasn't rolling in cash or anything, but the thought of spending money on food—or in this case an entrance fee—no longer had me breaking out in a cold sweat. Until you're in that position, you can't possibly know just how good not being completely broke feels.

Still relatively early in the evening the club wasn't as busy as it could have been. I grabbed an empty table in the corner and waited for Ruby to return with two beers. The blaring techno or disco or whatever the kids were calling it these days meant she took a seat right next to me so we could talk a little more easily.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"So what do we do?" she looked around at the dance floor, the bar, and at all the people enjoying themselves with the practiced eye of a cop. She didn't find anything. Well, that wasn't strictly true. I could see at least one person under the influence if their dilated pupils were anything to go by. No doubt Ruby could have got an easy result if she were on duty. But Ruby didn't find anything that confirmed my decision to come to the club.

It had been my idea. While clubbing wasn't my ideal pastime, I had been here on more than one occasion. But I didn't come for the ambience, or the booze, or to try and pick up a chick. When I visited, I was on the clock.

Penny had rather screwed me over. She'd vanished almost without trace. I'd received a single text message telling me not to keep trying to contact her. She'd been spooked by this whole mess. Bereft of her services, I'd been forced to turn to others. Not that they were any less reliable, just more expensive.

"You see, this is why I'm the brains of this operation and you're just the brawn."

Ruby flexed her arms, her biceps standing out defined and taut. She stared at me, daring me to try and compete. I wasn't self-conscious. Nor was I glad that I was wearing a shirt. That would have been ridiculous.

"I guess that's fair." Ruby laughed. "But then who's the beauty?"

"That's obviously you as well." Never let it be said that I couldn't hold my own. Ruby took a long swallow of her drink. While she was on the back foot, I raised my finger signalling to a nearby hostess in a white dress. Or at least that was what everyone would have assumed her job was. I knew differently.

"Is there anything I can do for you two?" There was a smile on her face, but didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Hey Melanie, how are you?" It didn't cost anything to be courteous.

"Good thank you, Jaune."

Ruby looked between us, perhaps wondering if there was more to this than met the eye. There was, but not in that way. Though they were by all accounts attractive, Melanie and her sister scared me more than a little bit. I'd seen them actually 'working'.

"I don't think I've met your girlfriend before."

Both Ruby and I began our passionate denials almost at the same time, our voices and splutters competing with each other's. It wasn't the first time we'd been mistaken for such, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Not that it made it any less uncomfortable.

"Shame. You two look cute together."

I glanced sideways at Ruby. She chose the exact same moment to do the same. Our eyes met and we tore them away as if we'd been burnt. Instead I glared at Melanie. She knew exactly what she was doing and was enjoying toying with us far too much.

"Is the VIP room available?" I growled through gritted teeth.

"Of course it is for you Jaune. I take it you'll want some special company?" Melanie had lowered her voice an octave. I'm not sure how she managed to make herself heard over the music while speaking so sensuously, but she'd managed it. Of course she'd managed it. "And you have the fee?"

Ruby's eyes narrowed as she stared at me. Melanie had made it sound so much worse than it was. I didn't even want to know what Ruby thought we were here for any more. Especially when I handed over a tight roll of notes which disappeared between Melanie's breasts.

"Excellent. Don't worry Jaune, I'm not going to count it. We've done this more than enough times haven't we? Though I'm very surprised you brought company. The more the merrier I guess."

I was very close to throwing my drink over her, or maybe over my face before it caught alight. Melanie wasn't usually like this, but I usually didn't have someone with me. She just hadn't been able to resist.

"Thank you," I said through gritted teeth.

"Make yourselves comfortable. It can get warm in there sometimes." Melanie spun on her towering platforms and threaded her way across the dance floor with a natural ease that spoke of long practice.

"Uhh… Jaune… why are we here again?" I really didn't want to look at Ruby. Not while I was still mortified.

"Nothing like that." I wished that my glare was capable of causing physical pain as it tracked Melanie. "She was just having fun." My breath escaped me in a rush. I may as well get it over with. "I haven't brought you to a sex club."

"Oh… good. I mean, of course you haven't."

"You thought I had though, didn't you?"

"Maybe for a little bit." Ruby giggled nervously. "She did make it sound that way."

"Yep she did. Come on."

The VIP room wasn't all that luxurious nor was it designed for VIPs. There was a couch, a table, some chairs, and TV hanging on the wall. Despite my reassurance, I sensed Ruby's relief. The leather couch might have been viable, but there were far more comfortable places to have sex.

"So you've been here before?" Ruby sat down at the table.

"Yeah, a couple of times when I've been stuck on a case. He's reliable."

"Such high praise coming from you," a deep voice said as the door darkened. If I had to describe Junior in only one word, I would probably choose 'giant'. Just shy of seven-feet tall and wider than most football players, he was the sort of guy who broke up fights with a single word.

"And I don't believe we've met before miss, which is my loss entirely." The size difference between him and Ruby was ridiculous. He could have picked her up and carried her around like a toddler. Not that he'd be capable of doing so. The bigger they are and all that.

"Ruby, and you are?"

"Junior." He looked at me and shook his head. "To think Jaune didn't even introduce us. I don't know what the world is coming to. Melanie told me you'd brought your girlfriend, but I hadn't expected someone as lovely as her. I didn't think you had it in you."

"She's not my girlfriend." I was seriously considering throttling Melanie the next time I saw her. Or at least trying to.

Junior laughed. "Still at that stage I see." He looked at his watch. It was a Patek Phillipe. Think Rolex, but more expensive. "I would love to chat, but unfortunately I'm rather busy tonight. So what do you want to know?"

In case you haven't caught on yet, Junior was an information broker. Perhaps one of the best in the city. He knew almost everything going on and would share it for the right price.

"I was working a case."

"And it got messy," Junior finished for me. "I know. I saw the police report."

"How exactly?" Ruby spoke up, her voice the one I'd previously dubbed her 'cop voice'.

Junior clocked it too. He looked at her then to me. "Please tell me you didn't bring a member of law enforcement here?"

"This is all above board isn't it?" It was. Ruby would never have agreed to come otherwise. Rumours and gossip were entirely legal. Police reports, admittedly less so.

"Of course it is," Junior answered. "And don't take this the wrong way miss, I have nothing but respect for the uniform, but you being here is making me uncomfortable."

"I'm not on-duty. And I would also guess that I'm not the first cop you've met recently." Her tone was cold. It didn't matter how many times they tried, the police simply couldn't purge corruption from their ranks.

"Perhaps not," Junior admitted.

"And their names?"

"Well that would cost you an awful lot more than you could be carrying in that tight little dress."

"Or I could come back here and bust every one of you."

"You could do, but you wouldn't find anything. Like Jaune said, everything here is above board. Not that you'd ever be able to get a warrant. I have a lot of friends." They glared at each other.

"Ruby, now isn't the time." Both of them turned their glares towards me. I knew I should never have brought her. Ruby largely existed in a world of black and white. This was about as grey as it came.

"I would agree." Junior checked his watch again. "You've wasted enough of mine. What do you want?"

"I'm trying to find a music box. It was stolen by the White Fang, but the mafia got involved somehow. I've been warned about them. I need to know what's happening."

"You're not exactly asking for much are you?"

"Perhaps, but you're the best."

"Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Can you help me or not?"

"No. I can't."

"What?" Junior knew everything that went on in this city. He'd always been able to at least point me in the right direction.

"I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?" He drew himself up to his full height. Perhaps I shouldn't have spoken to him in that tone, but he was a last option. If this fell through I didn't have a clue about what to do next.

"Either. Both."

"I paid you."

"And you'll get your money back. I'm not a crook."

"You know something." Me squaring up to Junior was pathetic, but caution was a distant whisper in my mind.

Junior glanced at Ruby. "I take it you'll repeat whatever I say to her anyway." I nodded. Of course I would. "Fine. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to work out what you're involved in is a lot bigger than a music box. At the moment, you are a nobody being slightly irritating. The mafia aren't after you. I'd have heard. Don't give them a reason to be."

It was as if an actual weight lifted from around my neck. Junior's word on these matters was as good as gospel. The mafia didn't want me dead. All my worries about errant noises had been for nought. Even as grateful as I was for that bit of information, I could sense Junior knew an awful lot more.

"You're holding out on me."

Junior pinched the bridge of his nose. "For your own good. Jaune, you're a good kid. I like you even. But these guys play for keeps, and you can't keep paying me if you're dead. I'll give you a little bit of advice for free. Drop this. Forget everything and go home with your girlfriend. You can even have a drink on the house for the road."

His generosity stood out like a red flag. In all my visits here, Junior had never offered me a free drink. He'd never even offered peanuts. It could have been kindness, but people didn't gain his reputation by being kind. That along with his glances at his watch told me one thing; he was trying to get rid of me.

I didn't know why, but asking him wouldn't help me find out. He seemed determined not to help me. Perhaps he was involved in whatever was going on, or perhaps he was just looking out for his own skin.

"Maybe you're right." Ruby turned to look at me. She'd tried more times than I could count to persuade me to drop this case, and now I was. Or at least that's how it appeared. "I'll take you up on that drink though."

Junior held out his hand. It engulfed mine. "Good, you're making the right decision. And if you need information on something else further down the road, you know where to find me. But maybe don't come with a cop next time. Miss." He nodded his head to Ruby before leaving. I wouldn't have brought her, but she'd insisted. The room seemed to become bigger in his absence.

"So are we heading home?" Ruby asked after he'd left.

"Not a chance. He was hiding something. You must have seen it too."

Ruby sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't have noticed. Come on Jaune, he was scared of these people too. Someone like him. What does that tell you?"

It told me I was very stupid not to be to be shitting myself, but I'd always been too curious for my own good. And then there was a sad girl with alabaster hair and pained eyes. I couldn't give up. Not yet.

"He knows something about this. He was trying to get rid of us."

Ruby crossed her arms. "So what are you going to do? He's not going to tell you? Are you going to beat it out of him? Good luck."

"Of course not." It was turning into another argument. I couldn't let it. "Why don't go we go and get that drink and talk this over?"

"Fine. But I don't like the idea of you being involved with these types of people anyway. They're criminals Jaune. No matter what they say. One day it will come round to bite you in the ass."

"I know they are. But they're also useful. Junior's helped me out a couple of times."

"For a fee." Ruby shook her head.

"It's just business."

"But what happens when he doesn't want money? When he wants you to do something for him? Or for you to owe him a favour?"

"Then I walk." There was no doubt in my mind that I would do so. I had morals after all.

"Fine." She didn't sound too convinced. "I'm just worried about you."

"I know, and I appreciate it. So let's go get that drink."

We headed out into the corridor. The music was muted, only soft reverberations coming through the walls. Junior operated his primary business out of the offices at the back of his club. There wasn't much order to their layout, but I knew the way back to the bar.

An angry exclamation came from the largest room as we came abreast of it. The door was cracked open. Men were inside. Men in smart Italian suits. Junior was as well, sitting near the head of the table. I couldn't quite see what was being presented, but I could see the person holding his cane as a pointer. His bright white jacket stood out in a world of greys and blacks. I knew who he was. I knew who they all were. And I knew why Junior had been holding out on me.

The mafia had come to party.


	9. Chapter 9

I carried on walking. I didn't break my stride or slow down. If Ruby had seen the interior of the room she didn't show it. Neither of us could afford to let Junior find out we knew who he was entertaining. With the timbre of the man's presentation chasing us, the corridor became oppressively long.

The guy in white had to be this 'Torchwick' whom Leone had warned me about. I couldn't think of any other reason why someone would be dressed so differently and so… ostentatiously, unless they were in charge. On anyone else the outfit might have been ridiculous, but he was making some kind of statement. Telling everybody he was special.

Ruby glanced at me—she had seen—and it was only then that I realised how fast we were both walking. A bit faster and it would have been a run. My legs had only been attempting to catch up to my racing heart. An entire day's worth of adrenaline had been dumped into my bloodstream in a couple of seconds.

Together we burst out through the double doors marked private. A guy coming out of the toilet stared at us. I didn't even want to know how we appeared. Like we were 'shitting it' most likely. Or at least I was.

The mafia was here. In the same building. It didn't matter that Junior said they didn't want to kill me—and let's face it, I could take his word for it now—they were still the mafia. Perhaps their reputation had fallen behind that of the cartels, but they were still the damn mafia. The Godfather could have been a documentary for all I knew, and I was sure it made them look tame.

"Come on." Ruby grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the main dancefloor and the exit. The evening was in full swing now. The DJ had arrived and stood above his decks wearing a teddy bear head. He was nothing more than a Deadmau5 rip-off, but his audience was lapping it up.

"Ruby, wait." I had to put my lips right up against her ear to make myself heard.

"What?"

"We can't leave yet."

I wanted to, but I couldn't. No matter how much I was bricking myself. This was the lead that I'd been waiting for. Junior had stonewalled me for a reason, and it no doubt had something to do with that meeting.

"Are you insane?" Ruby barked, her chin on my shoulder. To most it would have looked like we were entwined in a passionate embrace while we swayed to the music. "Did you not see them in there?"

"Of course I did, but this my chance."

"Your chance to do what? Get killed? You heard Junior; the mafia aren't interested in you. So let's keep it that way." Ruby spoke the utmost sense as always. I couldn't afford to listen. Not unless I was willing to drop my case and tell Weiss she'd never get her music box back.

"I did hear Junior, and you must have too. This is much bigger than a music box. You know they must be planning something illegal in there. Don't you think we should try and stop them?"

I'll admit it wasn't only Weiss' music box tempering my judgement, and I didn't want to unearth the mafia's plan purely for altruistic reasons. Stopping something large would surely get my name in the papers, maybe even the national ones. For a day at least everyone would be aware of Rising Arc Investigations. This had the potential to be my big break.

"Jaune, I'm a street cop. My job is to handle domestic disputes and petty thefts, not the fucking mafia. That's the FBI's job. This isn't some show on Netflix. A PI and off-duty cop aren't going to bring down the entire mafia and then have time for drink at the end of it."

"I know that!" It was about now that one or both of us would have angrily strutted away, but we needed to stay close if we wanted to be heard. "I'm not planning to. All I'm saying is we could find something out. We don't even have to take risks. Let's just find a table and wait. See if anything happens."

"We'll be taking risks just by being here. You're biting off more than you can chew again. You're a PI. Act like one."

"What do you mean _again_?"

Ruby pulled back to look at my face, to check if I was being serious. Her surprise showed me she hadn't expected me to be. "You got arrested for murder two days ago. Do I need to remind you of that? You've still got that trespassing charge hanging over you. All because you tried to be something you're not."

"And what am I not?"

"You're still playing at being the genius detective who solves everything by yourself. You're not. Real PIs don't break into apartments looking for leads. How many times has your old boss Port been arrested? I bet you've got him beat already."

At least I wasn't scared anymore. I guess that was a plus. My anger had washed every other emotion away. All this time… All this time that Ruby had appeared supportive of my decisions, this was what she had felt on the inside. That I was playing at being a detective. I almost swore at her, but then she spoke again.

"I'm sorry Jaune." She must have seen the hurt her words had caused. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. But I'm worried about you. I've always been worried about you. You take too many risks. This is just another one."

"How did you mean for it to come out?" I couldn't let it lie.

She looked away, tugging my arm slightly. "Please Jaune, let's discuss this outside."

"No." My jaw set. "Let's discuss it here."

"I'm not going to."

"Well I'm not leaving."

I tore her hand from my wrist and strode off. I couldn't believe it. She'd been lying to me for years. She was probably glad that my business had been going under. That it only proved what she thought. That I was someone playing at being a detective. She probably thought I should still be in our parents' gardens.

More than one angry insult was thrown in my direction as I pushed my way through the mass of writhing limbs on the dance floor. I couldn't have cared less if I was ruining someone's night. What did it matter anyway? They hadn't just found out their best friend was a two-faced bitch.

There was an empty table on a balcony where the music was somewhat muted. The half-finished drinks and jacket on a chair indicated someone might be coming back, but it hardly mattered. I needed the table more than them. It gave me a prime-view of the entire club. I'd show Ruby what a pretend detective could do.

I couldn't understand how everyone down there was enjoying themselves. Dancing like they didn't have a care in the world. In reality they didn't. People came to places like these to forget. For a few short hours they could throw aside their worries and have fun. I envied them so much.

Even though I was in the party atmosphere, even though it pounded against my eardrums, it didn't touch me. It might have before, but not now. Now I could only focus on the job at hand. Torchwick was here in that meeting. He was no longer just a name. I had the picture to go with it as well. He didn't look like a hardened mobster. He didn't have tears tattooed on his face, but I didn't let that fool me. He'd had the respect of every person in that room, and he must have earned it somehow.

There wasn't so much a plan in my mind. All I was certain of was that I needed to be here to be able to react to whatever circumstances may arise. So I watched and waited. An island of melancholy in an ocean of pleasure.

Someone approached in the periphery of my vision. I half-jerked my head around before turning back. I'd recognised the black dress and red highlights. And I'd seen the expression on her face. The sadness hidden just behind a paper-thin façade.

She'd been crying. Great. She'd done a good job in the bathroom, and not many would be able to tell. But I could. I'd seen her makeup before we arrived. Despite how I was entirely in the right, she still managed to make me feel like a piece of shit. Some people just have that power. Ruby's one of them. The eternal victim.

"Hey…" Ruby's voice quivered. She tried to sound happy. It didn't work. Neither of us were. And that's why it sucks to argue with your best friend. No matter what was said, both of you got hurt.

Ruby held two beers. A peace offering and maybe an apology. Perhaps I should have rejected them, told her to stuff them where the sun doesn't shine, but you know what? I didn't want to. Ruby had hurt me. I'm fully prepared to admit that. I wasn't some phony. But at the same time she was my friend. We'd come through worse. Probably.

"Hey." I took one of the bottles. "Thanks."

"No problem." She smiled. Such a sad smile. Such an antithesis. She looked like she was ready to burst into tears at any moment. Part of me wanted to hold her. To tell her not to cry. But she needed to speak first. I could sense that. "I'm sorry Jaune."

I nodded. What more could I say?

"I didn't mean any of it like that. I know you're not playing at being a detective."

"No I'm not."

"I'm just scared. For you, and for me. It just slipped out. I just wanted you to leave." She sniffed, her lower lip quivering, her eyes gleaming in the bright lights. "I know you're good at your job. You're really good, even if you are a bit down on your luck. And I know how big this case could be for you, but I don't want to see you get hurt."

Of course. Ruby had only been thinking of me, thinking of others rather than herself. She was quite possibly the most selfless person I knew. Perhaps I should have stayed mad at her, taught her a lesson. I'm sure a lot of people would have, but most people would never get to be friends with someone like her. It was a something you didn't discard so easily.

"I know." I took a swig of my beer. "Why don't you sit down?"

It was telling that she sat on the opposite side of the table. Ruby didn't often pay much attention to personal space. At least not mine. She was a person who needed to be close to others. That she hadn't plopped down in the chair next to me—or even on my lap as she was sometimes apt to do after a couple of drinks—told me she was aware of the very thin ice under her flats.

"It pissed me off when you said that. Whether you meant it or not. But not as much as it hurt me. How would you react if I said you were playing at being a cop?" That couldn't have been further from the truth, but the analogy had to stand.

"I know Jaune. I said I was sorry." She was. Few people would have been able to look as sorry as her. "It's just…" she trailed off, very aware that she didn't want to continue digging.

"No, go on, say it." I needed to hear, whatever it might be.

Being put on the spot almost made her burst into tears again. The pressure of what she wanted to say against attempting to keep our fragile friendship alive. She took a long drink, Dutch courage perhaps, before her voice became more substantial.

"Look Jaune. I'm a cop. You said it yourself. I know the streets better than you. Don't try and deny it. I'm on them, all day, every day. And I know how dangerous they can be. You just don't. I'm sorry but in that sense you are just playing around. The worst that's going to happen to you is someone assaults you. I have to wonder every morning when I put on my vest if it's going to be for the last time. For some it is. I've buried my colleagues. And I've buried my mom."

Silent tears rolled through the touched-up makeup. I swallowed. Ruby hardly ever talked about Summer. It was too painful for her to remember who she had lost. That she did spoke volumes. I stayed quiet. There wasn't anything I could add to this conversation. It was the entirely wrong place to be having it. In a club, with laughter and music from below, with a kissing couple a few tables away. They didn't realise Ruby was baring her heart so close to them.

"She died because some lowlife gangbanger wanted a bit of street cred by killing a pig. That's all. He took her from me." Ruby tried to continue but couldn't. It hardly mattered that he was in jail, or that cop-killers didn't do well there. Nothing would bring Summer back. "Just some thug with a gun. Think about that Jaune. You're playing around with the mafia. I don't want to have to bury you as well."

Damnit. She would have been able to win me over eventually just by looking so sad and miserable, but now she was letting me know some of her darkest fears. They were mine as well. I knew how dangerous my friends' jobs were. There was always a little part of me waiting for the dreaded phone call or text.

In an ideal world I would have responded with 'You won't have to'. I couldn't though. I couldn't predict the future any more than the next guy. An accident. A sudden illness. Anything could have proved me wrong. I couldn't alleviate Ruby's fears, but she'd allowed me to understand where she was coming from.

I couldn't stop myself any longer. I held out my hand and pulled her into the hug we'd both wanted to occur. In the heat of the building, Ruby's natural scent had soaked through her perfume. I didn't mind. She smelt like my best friend. We squeezed each other extra tight. Arguments were always shitty, but making up almost made them worth it.

"So what do you want us to do?" I spoke down into her hair, and she turned her face up towards me. So close I could see every single eyelash around her huge eyes. They were almost anime eyes with all the emotion they contained.

"Just leave Jaune. Just forget it. Please."

I had to work very hard not to let any of my emotions show on my face. She'd said that, the one thing I couldn't do, after pouring her heart out, after bringing up her mom. It should have affected me.

"Ok." Ruby exhaled in relief. "I need to go to the restroom first though."

She trusted me not to lie to her. I didn't want to think about that too much. Despite what Ruby had said, I knew that this was my one and only chance to crack this case. I could have left it, left the club, but then that choice would have been one that I looked back on for years. Wondered how my life would have turned out differently if I'd just had the balls.

I couldn't face that. I just couldn't. It would have driven me mad. I didn't like lying to Ruby, but I knew she wouldn't understand why I had to at least look. The meeting had to have been connected somehow. It all was. Junior had admitted so much. I had to know. No matter how much I was shitting myself. Perhaps a braver man than I wouldn't have been, but then he would have been a stupider one as well. Not that what I was doing wasn't stupid. Ruby was right. The sensible action would have been to go home. Instead I paused in the corridor with the toilets, looked furtively around, and stepped through the door marked 'Private'.

Confidence. That was the key. It wasn't that I wasn't meant to be back here. Earlier I'd led Ruby down these corridors without a care in the world. We'd been allowed then. There was no reason why I shouldn't be now. Of course, it would have helped if there were some other special customers for me to blend in with. Instead the hallway was deserted.

That didn't help my nerves. I stood out like a sore thumb. Or in this case, a nosy detective. Confidence was the key, but it wouldn't help in the slightest if anyone actually recognised me. Resisting the ever-increasing urge to turn back, I hugged the wall and approached the meeting room.

I couldn't hear anything. No one was talking. No one was giving a presentation. I risked a look. The room was empty. Or at least empty of people. Laptops and large pieces of paper were scattered across the tables. I shook my head and looked up and down the hallway. This was wrong. It was too tempting, too good to be true. It had to be a trap.

But trap or not, I couldn't afford to ignore it. Half of the laptops had been left on, spread sheets and schematics displayed. I fumbled my phone and almost dropped it. My hands shook so badly the camera was barely able to focus. Perhaps some of the pictures wouldn't be decipherable, but I wasn't capable of taking clearer ones.

If I hadn't known better, I would have said I was in a meeting room recently vacated by bankers or architects. It wasn't exactly what I would have imagined. There were no lines of blow on the tables, no weapons or other incriminating evidence, just boring accounts.

Not that I had any clue what the numbers signified. Perhaps I could have found out if I'd sat down and played around with Excel, but I didn't have the nerve to. Instead I circled the table as quickly as I was able, camera flashes casting a stop motion puppet show against the walls.

I only paused where Junior and Torchwick had been sitting. A USB stick lay on the table. One which was pure white with a blue snowflake. I recognised it immediately. It was identical to the one Weiss had given me back in my office.

It didn't make sense it was here. Weiss wasn't involved with any of this. Or at least that was what she had told me. I'd believed her. My instincts had been wrong. That stung. Against all my better judgement I'd been taken in by a pretty face and a sob story.

No longer. This… this was it. The key to unlocking this whole case. I was going to blow it all open, expose everyone, Weiss included. It was what she deserved. When she'd first walked into my office I'd known she was too good to be true and so it had proved.

It perhaps wasn't clever, perhaps I should have left no trace that I'd been here, but I pocketed the USB and almost ran from the room. I needed it and whatever was on it. I had no idea what it might contain, but I would bet her father was involved as well. A big family conspiracy. I have should never have trusted her. I couldn't believe how naïve I had been. My blood boiled with the need to get back at her.

The corridor outside remained deserted. I still had no idea where Junior and the mafia had gone. It didn't matter. I had what I came for. A piece of evidence, probably the vital piece. I started towards the exit.

A door handle in front of me turned. I didn't have time to think. I dived into the darkened room at my side. There was a sofa, a table, a TV, and that was about it. No closets. No curtains. Nowhere to hide. With the increasing volume of conversation robbing me of options, I did the most childish thing possible. I hid between the open door and the wall.

Pressed into that tight space, with wood right up against my chest, I didn't breathe. I didn't even dare to blink. My eyelids were too noisy. I could hear them, Junior, Torchwick, the rest, right in the corridor, talking, laughing. They were in a good mood. I only prayed that it would carry them onwards, that none fancied a lie down on the sofa.

I'd been stupid. So stupid. Stupid enough that my own mother would disown me. What had I been thinking? Ruby was right. I was an idiot boy playing at being a detective. It was fitting that I'd ended up in such a ludicrous hiding space with the freaking mafia playing the seekers. I could see their shadows on the carpet as they filed past. So many of them. I wouldn't stand a chance.

The wall and the door pressed in on me. I'd never been claustrophobic. Right here it hardly mattered. I didn't dare to breathe, but the burning in my chest didn't give me another option. I gasped.

A shadow on the floor stopped. With mounting horror, I watched the ghost of a person turn. They weren't large, and judging by their clothes they weren't male. She took a step into the room. She had to be able to hear my pounding heart. It roared in my ears. Less than an inch of wood separated us. I could smell her perfume. It made me want to throw up.

She took another step into the room, her head swivelling. The edge of her white jacket peeked around the door. It was over. At any moment she would turn, see me, and they would kill me, or at least make me wish I was dead.

"Neo." The voice came from the corridor. The woman turned the opposite way from me. "Are you coming? Or do you just want to watch TV?" She shook her head, swinging something long and thin through the air as she left the room.

With the conversation gradually diminishing, I made a promise, to myself, to God, to anyone who would listen. Never again. Never would I be so stupid. Never would I do anything so reckless. From now on, I would live on the straight and narrow.

I left my hiding space with my legs trembling beneath me. They were barely able to support my weight. I had to grip the frame of the door just to remain upright. I poked my head out. The corridor was deserted again apart from the fragrance of the woman who had nearly found me out.

Junior and the rest had gone back to their meeting room. It would only be a matter of time before they discovered what was missing. I needed to be out of here before all hell broke loose. Never let it be said that fear wasn't useful. In that moment it gave me the strength I needed.

The door to the room they'd come out of was open. I'd expected another meeting room or maybe a selection of refreshments. I was wrong. It was almost filled by a diorama of Manhattan. I recognised the unique skyline instantly. The buildings weren't necessarily detailed, but they were all there. Just why the model was in Junior's club I had no idea. With the building schematics I'd seen, I could only imagine they were planning some kind of robbery. It must have been huge.

As much as I would have liked to poke around, my promise rang loud in my ears. I'd pushed my luck, and then thrown it out the window. Somehow it hadn't rebounded straight into my face. I knew when to quit.

I don't think I'd ever been more thrilled to smell the scents that emanated from a toilet that needed cleaning. I was in clear. I'd done it. Somehow. Back in the crowd, surrounded by the music and the throng, I was safe. Not that it meant I wanted to stay in the club. I rushed back to where I'd left Ruby. She stood when she saw me, her brows narrowed.

"Jaune, where have you been?" She paused as she got a good look at me in the flashing lights. Almost instantly her irritation morphed into concern. "Are you ok? You look ill."

I nodded. That was a better excuse than I would have been able to come up with in this state. "Yeah…. I don't feel good."

"Oh…" She took my arm, guiding me towards a seat. "Sit down. I'll get you some water."

"No. I need some fresh air."

Ruby took my request in her stride. "Ok, let's go outside then. Are you ok to walk on your own?" It didn't matter that I nodded. She was worried about me, and wouldn't have removed her arm even if I'd requested it.

The fresh air was good, but not for the reasons that Ruby thought. It smelt like freedom. Despite everything, a grin found its way onto my face. I'd done it against all the odds. Now I just had to finish it, find out what was on the USB burning a hole in my pocket.

Ruby came to a stop in front of me, looking up into my eyes. "What's up?" No doubt my smile had only confused her more.

"I just need a lie down. Come on, let's go home." I started walking, and after a pace she fell in beside me. Night was in full swing, not that it meant much for the city that never sleeps. For many the fun was only just beginning. The queue for the club was almost around the corner. Never let it be said that New Yorkers didn't know how to party. Or how to get drunk. I could almost feel Ruby's urge to write up some of the people vomiting in the streets, but maybe a little black dress wasn't the best uniform for arresting someone. She let it slide.

A car screeched behind us, the driver swore. I jerked my head around. I froze, entirely unable to move. Two figures were somehow sprinting towards us despite their towering heels. One wore red, the other white. The eyes of the Malachite twins were locked on me like the barrels of four guns. They knew. They knew.

Ruby's grip on my arm tightened as she saw them too. "What?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was barely able to string two thoughts together. They knew, and that meant Junior did too. As did Torchwick and the mafia. I was screwed.

The pair of them slowed down when they saw that we had stopped. In an instant they managed to turn a sprint into a sensuous approach, both drawing eyes to their swaying hips. They didn't do it consciously; it was just learned behaviour which helped them get what they want. And right now they wanted blood. More specifically my blood. Their eyes lacked any trace of compassion or mercy.

"Give it back and we won't hurt you." I gulped. Melanie's tone seemed to imply an unsaid 'much'.

"Jaune? What's going on?" Ruby looked between the three of us. I shrugged, giving her the slightest shake of my head. Lying to her made me feel as shitty as before, but this was the last situation where I wanted to come clean.

"I don't have a clue what they're talking about."

Neither of the twins believed me, neither had any reason to, and neither would be going back empty-handed. Most customers thought the Malachites were merely hostesses to get guys in the club. I mean who wouldn't want to look at two extremely attractive identical twins who dressed like they did? Idiots probably, but only idiots tried to make unsolicited passes at them. All those guys in suits standing around the doors, they were just for show. When ass needed kicking, the Malachites were the ones wearing the eight-inch heeled boots.

Militia's features curled into a scowl. She didn't look pretty then. Not at all. "We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice. I'm hoping you pick hard."

Hard… most likely involving blood, broken bones, and pain. Lots and lots of pain. It wasn't difficult to imagine that they were sadists. I didn't even want to know what they got up to in the bedroom. Hard wasn't a good choice, not if you were sane, but neither was easy. There wouldn't be an easy, not really. I was fucked either way.

"Give it here, or we'll make you." Melanie took a step forward, into what most Americans would consider my personal space. Ruby might not have understood what was happening, but that was the trigger for her protective instincts to kick in.

"No one's making anyone do anything."

"Oh yeah?" Melanie smirked. In her little black dress, Ruby didn't look like much really. But Melanie should look in a mirror sometime. She didn't look like much either.

"Yeah." Ruby drew herself up to her full height. Especially with the twins heels she was the shortest of the four of us, but she managed not to look it. "Seeing as I'm a cop and all."

The twins exchanged a glance. Apparently Junior had forgotten to mention that. "Well good," Militia said after a few moments of indecision. "Just what we needed. We were going to call you anyway." I would have laughed if I didn't think I would throw up. That was too funny. People like Junior sorted out their own problems. "Jaune stole some of our property. We want it back."

It all clicked into place in Ruby's head. She gave me such a look of betrayal it almost broke me. Such a look of betrayal and hurt. She knew that I'd lied to her. That I'd done whatever it was Militia was suggesting. I never wanted to see that look in her eyes. The pain. It was even worse because I was the one who had caused it.

She didn't even give me the chance to explain. Who could blame her? I didn't deserve it. Even so, even after my betrayal, she still had my back. That was the kind of person she was. She knew as well as I did that I wouldn't receive any form of justice at the Malachites' hands.

"I told you. No one's making anyone do anything. If you want, I'm happy to take a statement from the pair of you down the station. Then we can examine the crime scene." It was a non-option. Everyone knew that. Ruby had pegged what sort of place the club was three steps in the door.

The twins exchanged another look. The presence of a cop was no doubt throwing their carefully constructed plan into ruin. That plan most likely being to beat the shit out of me and drag me back to club by my balls.

"Don't you have an obligation to arrest him?" Melanie said. "We've reported a crime. We've accused him. If you search him you can return our property and you won't have to fill in any forms. We'll even drop the charges." Such a kind reasonable offer. It was such a pity that it counted for nothing.

"To search him I need probable cause, and I just don't believe you." Now Ruby was lying as well. She believed them. Completely. "And as this is a free country. We're leaving. Come on Jaune."

We made it about one step before we were blocked off. Melanie glared at the pair of us, but Ruby more specifically. "It's not a free country. There's an order to things, and you're currently standing in the way of that order. This is your last chance. We have a problem with Jaune, not you. So start walking and don't look back."

So, so many would have taken that offer. It didn't matter how good a friend you thought they were, friendships had limits. Limits that were trumped by self-preservation. No one wanted to get involved in a fight they had nothing to do with. It just carried too much risk. But there were a few special people who wouldn't abandon the people they cared about. No matter the situation or the numerous reasons they had to do so. Ruby was one of those people. Her decision was apparent on her face.

Melanie sighed. "Fine. Remember you asked for this." She turned to her sister. "I'll take him, you handle his girlfriend."

Militia pouted. "Aww… you never let me have any fun."

Fun… that was what they considered this. My raised fists caused Melanie to smirk. No doubt they looked comical to her. I tried to remember what Yang had told me, what Ruby had tried to drill into me at the dojo. I couldn't. All their words of wisdom were simply vapours in my mind.

Melanie advanced, her boots clicking on the ground, one steady step after another. The glint in her eye wasn't sexual or devious as it had always been before. It was sadistic, pure and simple. She was going to enjoy this. I couldn't hit a girl, it wasn't chivalrous, but fuck it. I threw my best right straight at her face.

My fist didn't land. It didn't even come remotely close to landing. I wasn't even sure what had happened. One moment it was on its way, the next I was bent over, my arm straight behind me, someone twisting my wrist in a way it simply wasn't able to go. I couldn't move. Not with the leverage I had and not with the pain. It was as if fire surged through my nerves. A kick to the back of my knee and my chin smashed into the ground. I tasted blood.

The point of a stiletto ground into the nerves of my shoulder as the joint of my arm was locked solid. I couldn't even thrash in agony. From my unique vantage point in the filth, I saw two other shapes circling each other like cats with their hackles raised.

Ruby's martial experience was plain in the way she had set herself, and Militia had noticed. Ruby wasn't some airheaded five-six girl. Instead she was a black belt, and as I knew from previous experience, Sambo was nasty. Ruby didn't practice the one used in tournaments, the nice one, the family friendly version, she'd studied the one developed by the Russian military. Militia didn't know what had hit her.

Though she worked it out pretty quickly. Her fighting style was based on some form of boxing, and she had about as much luck with her first punch as I had against her sister. Ruby caught her wrist and from that moment it was over. Sambo specialised in grappling. Militia ended up on the ground in much the same position I was in. Melanie and Ruby stared daggers at each other.

"Let her go." Melanie punctuated her point by pressing down with her heel. It fucking hurt. I cried out.

"You first." Ruby didn't quite retaliate in kind, but she didn't let up the pressure either.

"Together?"

"Ruby don't." I cried out again as Melanie showed her displeasure at my outburst. The ligaments in my shoulder screamed. It was about a millimetre from popping from its socket. Melanie knew as much as I did that the odds of a continued confrontation would be in their favour. I was worse than useless here. I was a liability.

"Jaune, shut up," Ruby snapped at me. "Ok, together."

She let go of Militia's arm, and after a moment Melanie let go of mine. It didn't seem to want to work properly. I had to push myself into a sitting position with my left. Militia was already up. She joined her sister facing down Ruby.

"We don't have to do this," Ruby said, looking between them. "We can just all go home."

"No we can't bitch." Militia rushed in. You would have thought she'd have learned her lesson. Ruby introduced her to the other side of Sambo. The military side. She ducked under a punch and curled a hook right into Militia's liver. She folded straight into Ruby's rising knee. Outnumbered, Ruby really wasn't messing around.

A roundhouse sailed at her head. Ruby caught it on her forearm, hissing out in pain, as she backed away from the follow up. Melanie advanced, spinning, kicking out, probing for a gap. Ruby could only duck and weave away from the larger hits, while taking the weaker ones on her side.

Melanie was good, much better than Militia. Her fighting style was more showy, but also more effective. The power in her kicks stopped Ruby from overextending herself. I got to my feet. I had to help. Somehow. Maybe I could tackle Melanie or something which didn't require finesse.

Ruby glanced at me, and so did Melanie for the briefest heartbeat. Ruby took full advantage. She lunged forward, her fingers extended and stiff. They drove into Melanie's solar plexus. As she spasmed, Ruby finally got a hold of her arm. Melanie joined her sister on the floor trying to gasp in air against the pain.

Ruby stood over them for a moment. Victorious and triumphant. I'd seen the twins in action. They were scary. They could take down a rowdy group of drunken football players with ease. They'd barely managed to touch Ruby. She wasn't even out of breath even if the strap of her dress was torn. She had to hold it up over her breast.

"Come on," she said.

"What about them?" Militia was on all fours, spitting blood onto the road. Melanie lay on her back, with a hand pressed against her chest.

"Really?" Ruby started dragging me away. "They'll be fine. Now shut up." The strength of her grip told me just how furious she was. I'd made her do this. Get into a brawl on the street. A cop. If the twins reported the fight it could cost Ruby her job. It was lucky they wouldn't. Instead they'd come after me again. Hopefully they didn't know where I lived.

Ruby pulled me along for several blocks before pushing me hard against a wall. She turned her back, exposing the arc of pale flesh left free. The curve of her spine shook, though with adrenaline or rage I couldn't tell.

"Ruby." I reached out to her. She flinched from my touch.

"You lied to me." The four words contained such a depth of accusation, of pain. I didn't know whether I would ever be able to repair the damage. And that terrified me.

"Please, let's just talk."

"Talk?" Ruby spun back to me. "Jaune, I don't even want to look at you right now. Go home."

She held out an arm, and in true New York fashion, a passing cab came to a stop. With the weight of her loathing pressing my back up against the hard wall, I was forced to watch her disappear into the night.

* * *

"Fuck!" I slammed my fist onto my kitchen table. My whole apartment shook and the flare of pain in my hand wasn't enough. Surprise, surprise, I hadn't been able to sleep. I hadn't even tried. I could only keep on picturing the betrayal on Ruby's face. I'd fucked up big time.

And all for nothing. No matter what I did I couldn't see what was on the stolen memory stick. It was encrypted with a password, and none of my guesses had worked. Penny probably would have been able to unlock it in about three seconds, but she still wasn't answering my messages. It took all of my self-restraint not to throw my laptop at the wall.

I poured myself another shot. I took pride in that. At least I hadn't started drinking from the bottle like a complete denigrate. I still had a shred of dignity. Not that I deserved it. I'd pushed, and pushed, and pushed Ruby until even a person as good as her had snapped. I hated myself for it. She'd never forgive me.

My phone buzzed against the laminated wood. Ruby's name flashed up. I swallowed. I had no idea why she was calling me this late and after everything, but it was an opportunity I couldn't refuse. I picked it up and spoke before she could say anything.

"Ruby, I'm sorry." I had to get that out into the open. I was. Completely. Utterly. I'd do anything to make it right.

On the other end of the phone, a man laughed. My heart froze in my mouth. "I'm sure you are. But Red's a little bit tied up at the moment, and if you ever want to see her again, you're going to do exactly what I tell you to."


	10. Chapter 10

I stared at the wall of my living room. The uneven texture of the cream, and the way the light played off it. It had as much going on as my mind did. The past couple of hours had left me in a complete daze. So I sat on my sofa and stared. Tired, hungry, and I needed the bathroom, but I couldn't work out how to move.

Ruby had been abducted. And it was all my fault. All of it. There wasn't even any way to dispute that. Any way to relieve some of my guilt. I was the one who had gone after the mafia. I was the one who had dragged her along when she said we should leave. And now, she was paying the price.

If it was me, if I was the one who'd been taken, it would have been better. What I deserved. I was the one who had done the crime, it should have been me bearing the brunt of the payback. But it wasn't. Somewhere in this city, Ruby was presumably tied up, cold, and alone. And the last thing she'd said to me was she didn't even want to look at me. She must have hated me, and I deserved every last bit of it. I was the worst person alive.

I'd put her in danger, and I wasn't doing anything to get her out. I should have been. I should have been running around, hitting up all of my contacts for the slightest bit of information that might help find her. Instead, I was sitting here, staring at my wall.

It didn't help that the police had told me to do just that. Torchwick had warned me not to contact them, but I hadn't had a choice. I had finally been forced to admit I was just some two-bit detective in way over his head. I didn't have a chance of saving Ruby on my own, and I had done exactly what she would have told me to do.

The police hadn't been helpful. Not really. They hadn't found Ruby yet. They assured me that they were looking. Her dad assured me that they were looking. I wished they hadn't called him. Not because he was angry with me though. Far from it. He hadn't been angry in the slightest. He'd even said it wasn't my fault. Yeah, right. It was entirely my fault.

At least Yang had said what everyone was thinking. She'd choked me up against the wall and threatened to break every bone in my body if anything happened to Ruby. It was no less than I deserved. I almost hadn't wanted Taiyang to pull her off me.

Cops looked after their own. I was sure they were kicking down doors and raiding apartments, but my phone didn't ring with welcome news. It didn't ring at all. I didn't know if that was good or bad. Taiyang had said I'd done the right thing. Apparently most people went to the cops. Torchwick would expect and plan for it, then proper negotiations would be opened.

I could only pray it was true. The other option was I'd be receiving a package in the mail tomorrow. Torchwick didn't seem like the kind of guy that messed around. He wanted what I'd taken. He'd told me that explicitly. I was to bring the memory stick with me to Madison Square Park tomorrow—or today now—at midday. And I was to come alone of course.

I still didn't know why the USB was so important. Why it was worth kidnapping someone over. Neither did the cops. They hadn't managed to break through the encryption either. It didn't matter what it contained though. Nothing was worth more than Ruby's life. Taiyang had agreed. The stick was currently sitting on my kitchen table on the off-chance Torchwick wanted it immediately. Perhaps Taiyang shouldn't have let me keep it—or been in charge of the operation at all, he was probably breaking a dozen directives—but he was Ruby's father first. If it saved her, his job would be a small price to pay.

He was the one who had finally decided I needed sleep. Perhaps he thought he was doing me a favour by getting the rest of the cops to leave my apartment. He hadn't been. At least with them here I'd been able to keep myself busy. Now all I could do was sit and stare.

I'd tried the TV, but somehow that had been worse than the wall. All those laughs. They'd just grated up against my shot nerves. Sleep would have been best, but sleep had never seemed so far away. There were hours to go until the sun rose. Hours where Ruby would be lamenting Yang ever introducing us.

I couldn't just sit with my guilt. I had to do something. And that something lay at the bottom of a bottle. I wouldn't have much. Just enough to dull my nerves. I pushed myself up and walked to my kitchen in the dark. I didn't deserve any lights.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was too dark to see anything. I couldn't hear anything, but this was my apartment. I knew every inch of it. And I just knew something wasn't as it should be.

"Who's there?" I called into my kitchen. I didn't own a gun, but at that moment I wished I did. If it was Torchwick I probably would have pulled the trigger. A dirty glass wasn't much of a weapon, but it would have to do. "Come out."

"It's me." Amber eyes reflected what little light there was. Leone kept saying she wasn't a cat, but they looked like cat eyes in the darkness.

I punched the light switch more than flicked it on. "What the fuck are you doing here?" It was the second time she'd broken into somewhere I owned. I didn't care that we'd parted on what might have been considered amiable terms. And I didn't much care last time she'd had a gun.

Leone held up her empty hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I heard what happened."

"Did you?" I didn't bother to hide my anger or make an attempt to appear friendly. Of course she had.

"Yes. I did warn you not to get involved."

For fuck's sake, an 'I told you so'? Not that I didn't deserve it a hundred times and more, just that she had no right to say it.

"So you decided to break into my apartment!" I took a step towards her. I was too incensed to think how ridiculous my actions were. I wasn't anything in a fight.

"No." Leone shook her head. "I mean, yes, I did. But I had to talk to you."

"Then use the fucking phone." I didn't even know how she'd gotten in here. There was a patrol car parked on the street below and I hadn't heard anything.

"I couldn't. They might be listening." She didn't specify who _they_ were. "But I did need to talk to you. This was easier. At least for me." She looked away.

"Fine. What's so goddamn important?"

"You can't give him what he wants."

"What?"

"Torchwick. Whatever he wants with you, you can't give it to him."

"No." I shook my head. "Just no."

"You don't understa—"

"No you don't understand!" She jumped as I roared at her. "He has Ruby! I don't give a shit about anything else."

"Jaune, calm down." Hadn't she ever heard? Telling someone to calm down only makes them do the opposite.

I advanced on her. "What part of 'he has Ruby' don't you understand?"

Leone retreated a step. "The part where I know him, people like him. If you give him what he wants, he'll only ask for more. And when you have nothing more left to give, he'll kill you both. Just like he did Velvet." Her face crumpled. Hardened criminal or not, she could still experience hurt.

"Oh…" The name took much of the fire out of me as the images stored so vividly by my brain surfaced anew.

"Yes. He killed my friend. And he's going to kill yours."

"No." I couldn't accept it. I refused to accept it.

"I'm sorry." She looked it. "That's just the sort of person he is."

"So what?" My throat caught. "I let her die?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying you have to change the rules. Change the game. If you play his you'll lose."

"No. Just, no." I was done trying to be smart, trying to manipulate the circumstances. It had gotten me into this situation. "I'm not going to risk Ruby's life. I'm going to give Torchwick exactly what he wants."

Leone looked aside, her eyes downcast. "I can't let you do that."

"What? Wait…" My eye had caught on the surface of the table. The empty surface. "Where is it!" I lunged at her throat. Leone danced away, but in my kitchen she couldn't run very far. Trapped in a corner, her eyes were wild, but not as wild as mine. "Where is it?" The memory stick was missing. The memory stick that Torchwick wanted. The one that would save Ruby.

"He wants it."

"I told you I don't care. I don't care about the games you're all playing. All I care about is Ruby. So give it back." I was a lot bigger than her, but she no doubt had a better idea how to fight. Not that it mattered.

"Ruby's already dead. You must know that. Or she's wishing she was. You saw what they did to Velvet. They'll be doing the same to her." Torture. Even if I didn't want to, I could picture Ruby's body in Velvet's place only too well.

"She doesn't know anything."

"Neither did Velvet. They did it because they thought she did. Or they did it just because they wanted some fun."

It was an awful thought, one of the worst, but I couldn't afford to give up hope. Not yet. "Or they'll kill Ruby because I didn't do as he said. That's my best chance. So give it back."

"I'm sorry Jaune. I can't."

"Why? Why is it so important? What's on it?"

"I don't know. We never managed to decrypt it. But I know that not having it hurts Torchwick. That he needs it."

"I need it." I did. I took a step forwards. All of Leone's careful reasoning fell entirely on deaf ears. It didn't matter to me in the slightest if I was going to be giving Torchwick what he wanted.

"Don't you care that my friend died for this?" Leone glared at me.

I did, but I really didn't. I hadn't known Velvet, but I knew Ruby. I knew her so much I couldn't imagine my life without her. "Don't you care that my friend might? I'm not giving you a choice. Either give it back or I'll try and take it."

"I do care." Her strained voice seemed to ring in the small room. "Don't you dare try and say I don't."

"Then why have you done this? Why did you try and steal the only thing might get my friend back?"

"I… I don't know." Leone's shoulders slumped. "I just had to something. Try and pay him back."

At the defeat in her tone, the righteous energy fled my body. Fatigue hit me like a train. "This isn't the way to go about it. I can understand, really. If you have to get back at him, do something else. But not something that could hurt Ruby."

Leone pulled a hand from her pocket, the memory stick sat in her palm. "I'm sorry." She didn't manage to meet my eyes. "I shouldn't have even thought about this."

"No, you shouldn't have." I took the memory stick. So light, and yet I held Ruby's life in my hand.

Leone squeezed past me. I didn't try to stop her. "I'm sorry," she muttered again. "For what it's worth, I hope you get your friend back."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Leone shook her head. "Maybe leave town for a bit. We need to decide."

"Right." I shepherded her to the door. The last thing I needed was her to climb out my window and fall or something. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope we never meet again." If Ruby and I ever got out of this unscathed, I was never going to do anything exciting ever again. From that point on it would just be infidelity cases, not tracking down international groups of thieves.

A small smile graced Leone's lips. "You're not the first person to say that to me. Goodbye then Jaune, and good luck."

_Good luck…_ yeah, I'd need it.

* * *

"Could you lift your shirt up?" Taiyang asked me. I didn't have much room to comply. The back of a van was never very big, even more so when there were half a dozen people and rows of monitors crammed into it.

I did my best, and the police technician attached a wire to my chest. It wasn't exactly a long spindling cable and battery-pack like it was in the movies, instead it was a pad, barely larger than my thumb nail and flesh-coloured. Without looking extremely closely, I wouldn't even have known it was there. I fervently hoped no one else would either.

"Yeah, I know," Taiyang said. "It's smaller than you thought it would be. We're not in the eighties anymore." A part of him seemed to regret that completely. "It's a listening device, so we'll be able to hear everything going on around you, and a GPS locator so we can find you. If you need it, we'll be in a position to help. You'll be safe. I promise you." He gripped my shoulder. He was a man who intended to live by his promises. "It's coupled with an earpiece so we'll be able to talk too." That was tiny as well. "Say something Jaune."

"Umm… hello." My voice came out of the speakers on the wall.

"Great," Taiyang smiled.

I didn't have a clue how he could. His daughter had been kidnapped, and yet he was holding himself together. He barely seemed different to any other time we'd spent time together. Obviously he was handling the situation much better than me. I just wanted to throw up.

Taiyang pressed a button and spoke into it. " _Testing, testing._ " His voice was tinny, but I could hear it through the earpiece. I nodded.

"Good, how's everything looking?" Taiyang addressed the technician nearest the bank of screens.

"We're picking up a little bit of interference, but nothing significant."

"Don't worry," Taiyang added at my concerned look. "It's entirely normal in the city. The airways are pretty chocked full. Not to mention all the buildings. The system is designed with that in mind. Now do you remember what you need to do?"

"Walk to the middle of the park, sit on the bench, and wait until he calls me again." My part of the plan was simple. Even I couldn't mess it up.

"That's right. We'll tell you what to say. Do you have the memory stick?"

I patted my jeans. It was there, burning a hole in my pocket. "Good. Remember, no heroics. Don't do anything stupid. It won't help you or Ruby. If necessary, give Torchwick exactly what he wants. That's our main goal, keep him happy, get Ruby back. But if things go bad, we'll be there to help you."

They would be. Taiyang had shown me the members of the SWAT teams before they'd loaded into their own vans. If Torchwick tried to escalate the situation, the police were willing to meet him toe to toe. None of us wanted that to happen. Me in particular. As for heroics? They couldn't be further from my mind.

"I know." I needed a drink. My mouth was entirely devoid of moisture.

Taiyang squeezed my shoulder. "You're incredibly brave to be doing this Jaune."

Then why didn't I feel it? Why did I still feel like a piece of shit who had caused all of this? I knew the answer to that. Because I was. I wasn't being brave. I didn't have a choice. I had to try and fix my mistakes. I couldn't put that into words. I didn't want to right now. I settled for nodding.

"Just remember Jaune, we'll be watching over you the entire way. Ok? Good luck." He pushed open the doors, and sunlight and noise flooded into the enclosed space. All those people walking past the van didn't have a clue. To them this was just a normal day. They wouldn't remember this day the rest of their lives.

My legs were unsteady as I stepped onto the asphalt. Now that the doors were open, it all seemed so much more real. I was actually going to be doing this, meeting Torchwick. The police should have found someone else. Someone at least half-competent. I wasn't even a quarter.

I couldn't show my nerves though. Taiyang was putting on a front, he had to be, and I had to follow his example. I cleared my throat and started towards the park. There were a lot of people on the streets, most in suits looking to pick up lunch before the major rush. That was no doubt why Torchwick had picked midday. It would be far easier for him to slip away in the crowds.

The van I'd left was an indistinct one. It wasn't marked as police, but it wasn't plain. No doubt the company on the side actually had a website that could be checked. The vehicle blended in with the rest of the traffic. There were others nearby, but none right next to the park. Taiyang didn't want to spook Torchwick.

I had several blocks to walk, which unfortunately meant I had several blocks to think as well. Think about how foolish I had been, and how badly this could go. Leone's warnings ran riot in my mind. She thought Ruby was already dead. That this was all for naught. I couldn't afford to. I had to believe I could still get Ruby back. If not… I didn't even want to think about it.

Hundreds of people surrounded me, my shoulders brushed up against theirs on the sidewalk, but I was alone. I'd never been more alone in my entire life. My stomach dropped. I hadn't even told my parents or my sisters, what had happened. I hadn't even written them a note. It was yet another thing to feel guilty about.

I almost stopped. I almost turned back, but I kept walking. They'd know. If things didn't work out they'd know just how much I loved them. A piece of paper and some words wouldn't change that.

Madison Square Park was familiar to me. All the patches of green in Manhattan were. If I had one complaint about living in a city, that was it. You had to drive for hours to reach somewhere that could reasonably be considered nature. The grass was coveted by New Yorkers for that very reason.

I swallowed as memories of my last visit to the park rose. Ruby had been with me. We'd decided to stop for lunch on the lawn. It must have been what? Six months ago at least, but I could picture it as if it were yesterday. Ruby had been wrapped up against the cold, in a big coat and leggings, but her cheeks had glowed red with how much she'd been enjoying herself. I had too. We'd both been laughing about something.

That easy comradery would never happen again. Not after this. Ruby would never want to just _hang out_ with me. She would never even want to see me. Even though the thought petrified me, I could live with that. It would least mean Ruby was alive to hate me.

The pathways in the park were only marginally less busy than the sidewalk. Scores of people sat on the grass, sunbathing, eating, chatting. A blond guy with abs to kill for did crunches as those nearby tried not to look his way too often. All people going about their normal lives. I looked at each of them. I couldn't help it. I'd always been good at picking out people with something to hide. Everyone did really. Be it an affair or just an embarrassing kink, no one liked to live their entire life in the spotlight.

I liked to think I was good at finding what lay just behind the curtain but, as I'd been forced to do so often recently, I had to admit I wasn't anywhere near as good as I thought I was. I couldn't tell if the man in the overly-long and dirty coat leaning against a tree was a lookout or just a hobo. If the woman watching me so intently was doing so because she was talking to Torchwick, or if she was just checking out the hot guy in a suit walking just behind me. I ran my hand through my hair. Torchwick could have had dozens of people here, or he could have had none.

" _Is everything okay Jaune? You've stopped. Click your tongue once for yes, twice for no."_ Taiyang's voice came through my earpiece, so steady and calm. It came as a surprise to me that I had stopped right in the middle of the path, forcing streams of people to walk around me. Annoyed with myself, I clicked my tongue once and started off again.

" _Good. Remember you want the bench furthest away from the restaurant._ _Just sit down and remain calm."_

That was easy for him to say from the safety of the van. My heartrate must have been well over a hundred. I didn't even have to put my finger to my wrist to feel my pulse. It echoed in my ears. An unending crescendo of noise. Anyone around me could have been working for Torchwick and I'd only find out when a knife slipped between my ribs.

_No._ I clenched my fists, my fingernails biting into my palms with eight pinpricks of pain. I was being stupid. Torchwick wouldn't have done all this just to kill me. He could have done that at any time. He wanted me. Or, more accurately the memory stick in my pocket.

A woman finished her sandwiches and got off the bench I needed just as I approached. Maybe fortune was on my side today. I sat down on the hard wood, giving the person on the other end a polite nod. They either didn't see or chose to ignore me. That was fine as far as I was concerned.

With nothing left to do on my end, I could only wait while listening to the burble of the water feature in front of me. The restaurant was doing a roaring trade, but then it normally did. The park was filled with people from the nearby businesses every working day of the week.

I checked my watch. Well, not mine. I didn't actually own one. I hadn't since smartphones had replaced my old Casio. The police had leant me one. It said _12:02_ , and nothing.

Time ticked by. Minute by minute. Second by second. I counted them all one by one. Why wasn't he calling? What had happened? What had gone wrong? _12:06. 12:07. 12:08._ Nothing.

" _Don't worry Jaune, this is perfectly normal_."

How could Taiyang say that? I should have heard something by now. He must have known it too. My chance was slipping through my fingers and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Maybe Leone was right. Maybe Torchwick was only doing this to mess with me, to give me hope before he took it all away.

A phone went off. I jumped. It was loud. Extremely loud. It didn't come from pocket and the ringtone was one I hadn't heard in years. I looked at the person next to me only to find them staring straight back me. The phone rang again right between my legs. I looked down. The phone had been taped to the underside of the bench.

I pulled it off, getting dozens of stares. No doubt this looked extremely dodgy but it couldn't be helped. I held it in my hand. It wasn't even a smartphone. It rang again, _Number Withheld_.

" _Umm…"_ Taiyang hesitated, actually hesitated. We'd been relying on Torchwick calling my phone. The police had already tapped it, so they would have known everything he said and been able to trace where the call was coming from. Now they couldn't. Torchwick had thought ahead. " _Answer it Jaune. Try to hold it near the microphone._ "

It was awkward just figuring out which actual physical button to press to accept the call, and more awkward still to bend so my head was as near my chest as possible.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hello Jaune." It was his voice. It was too distinct not to recognise. A chill went down my spine. "I have a question for you. Do you think I'm stupid?" His sudden anger was almost a physical thing that struck me. "I told you to come alone. I told you no cops. And yet, what did you do? You went straight to them. Do you want to hear Red?"

Someone gave a high-pitched squeal. Someone in pain and no doubt gagged. Bile rose in my throat. I couldn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. The venom in his tone rocked me back.

"I don't like to be jerked around, and I told you what the consequences would be. Say goodbye to your friend Jaune. Neo, make her scream."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week will be the finale, followed by an epilogue the week after so enjoy, and if you haven't check out my Christmas story on my profile.


	11. Chapter 11

"No! No stop!" Everyone around the fountain turned at my shout, but they were inconsequential shadows. My entire world had collapsed to the phone in my hand and the imagined picture in my mind. Ruby squealed even louder than before. I could practically see Neo advancing on her.

" _Jaune, what's going on?"_ I ignored Taiyang.

"Please," I begged into the phone. It was all I had left.

Torchwick could not have been less empathic. His voice didn't break from his previous tone. "You brought this on yourself Jaune. Remember that."

A sharp crack came through the speakers. The tone of Ruby's squeals changed into deeper cries. Pained cries.

" _Jaune, what's happening? We can't hear. Where's Ruby?"_

"Please! I'll do anything. Don't hurt her." Tears ran openly down my face.

"Really? Anything?" Another crack, another cry. "Do you have what I asked you to bring?"

"Yes. Yes. It's right here. Please. Please…

"Hmm…" As Torchwick thought, Ruby grunted. The simple sound tore through me. I could feel her agony as if her torment ripped through my own body. "As you asked so nicely, Neo stop."

He could have been talking about anything. A good meal. A funny TV show. Or someone being tortured in the same room. It didn't affect him at all. The cracks and Ruby's grunts and squeals were replaced by soft whimpers and pants. Torchwick must have been holding the phone right next to her mouth. "Do you hear that Jaune? That's your fault. Remember that."

I would never forget. My body trembled as I cried in full view of everyone who was still staring at me. Taiyang was saying something, but I couldn't hear him over Ruby's ever so quiet moans.

"Now," Torchwick continued. "It's a lovely day outside and I'm feeling in a generous mood. So I'm going to give you another chance. Are you going to do as I say this time?"

I tried to speak. No words managed to escape my choked throat, just an unintelligible grunt.

"I'm sorry; you're going to have to speak up. The reception here is terrible."

"Y-Yes." I'd do anything so that I didn't have to hear what I had just transpired again.

"Good." Torchwick laughed. "I'm glad we could finally come to an understanding."

" _Jaune, what is going on!_ " Taiyang's voice came out loud over my earpiece. " _Does anyone have eyes on him?"_

"Now Jaune." I blocked out Taiyang as Torchwick started speaking again. I hung on his every word and the whimpers just under them. "Here's what you're going to do. You see the Twenty-Third Street station to the south of you?"

"Yes." I could just about see the stairs and the commuters using them.

"You're going to take the subway to Thirty-Third Street. When you reach the road you'll receive another call. Remember, I have people watching. If you make one more mistake, that's it."

"I won't." I didn't care about what I was getting myself into. I didn't even care about myself or my safety anymore. All I could think about was Ruby. Her only chance was for me to do exactly as Torchwick said. Even if it got me killed, I would do it.

"I know that Jaune." I could almost hear the bastard smiling. "Oh, and before we forget, lose anything the police gave you. We wouldn't them interrupting us would we?"

"No." I tore the flesh-coloured patch from my chest.

"I'll speak to you soon Jaune. And remember to run. Otherwise Neo here might get bored." With that chilling threat, the phone went dead.

I had to get to Ruby. I had to save her. I had to comply with Torchwick. My fingers scrambled at the strap of my watch. He'd say everything the police had given me. I jumped up looking around frantically. People stared at me, a semi-circle of eyes. I they were asking me if I needed help I wouldn't have known; they might as well have been speaking Spanish. I pushed through the crowd. I had to get the station.

" _Everyone move in. Jaune, whatever you're doing stop. It's not going to help Ruby. We can still sort this out._ "

I started running as I dug the earbud out. Taiyang didn't understand. He'd underestimated Torchwick just like I had. There wasn't going to be any nice open negotiations if this fell through. He was going to kill Ruby. He'd already tortured her just to make a point. Torchwick wasn't your run of the mill criminal. He was different, unique, and all the more dangerous because of it.

Sirens wailed from the streets all around. The cops were as much a threat to me as whoever Torchwick's eyes were now. The police would get Ruby killed by trying to help her. People came running into the park. They might have been wearing plain clothes, but no one would have mistaken them for joggers. They sprinted towards the bench where I'd been.

The crowds were my friend. I stuck behind them, keeping them in between me and the cops. With my head bowed and my shoulders hunched, their cursory glances didn't see me. I'd got lucky, but it wouldn't last. More cops would be arriving every moment. This is what it must have felt like to be an actual criminal. The net was closing in on me.

As the sirens closed and uniformed officers appeared, the crowd was starting to get nervous. Something big was going down and it couldn't have been good. People glanced around. In post 9/11 New York it was hard not to jump to only one conclusion.

A gun going off was the trigger for pandemonium.

People started screaming and I ducked my head just like everyone else. It couldn't have been the cops, but they drew their own weapons in response. Faced with that sight it only took one person pushing for the herd instinct to kick in. I was swept up in a torrent of elbows and bodies. Children cried. Parents shouted names. The cops pushing their way into the park had no chance against the hundreds fleeing from it. The crowd swarmed onto the street, the squeal of brakes and honking horns only added to the chaos. Those at the front couldn't have kept out of the road even if they'd wanted to.

It was pure luck that carried me past the stairs to the subway, and I thrust myself towards them. Some people were escaping downwards, but too many feared being trapped underground during a terrorist attack.

I took the stairs three at time. No doubt I was as responsible as anyone for spreading the panic. The slap of my sneakers rang through the corridor as I sprinted into the mezzanine. The newly-arrived commuters were blissfully unaware of the chaos above them.

I knew better. With a possible terrorist incident it wouldn't be long before some bright-spark middle-manager decided to shut down the trains before they'd received the whole story. I had to be on one before that happened. It took three tries for the turnstile to accept my MetroCard. It was only the worried looking cops with their hands resting on their pistols that stopped me jumping them. I'd heard that story before.

Running was out of the question as well. I could only walk at a brisk place. I didn't know the station very well, but there weren't many ways I could go wrong. I had a minute before the next train pulled in. I picked up my pace.

The platform shook as a train pulled in. I didn't even wait for people to exit as I pushed my way on. The smell of trapped sweat and neglect washed over me. The subway was never particularly nice, but today it was the least of my concerns. Ruby's pained cries still echoed around my mind. They made me want to throw up. I could never imagine hurting her like that, but I had. Everything that was happening to her came straight back to me.

My knuckles were white as my fingers attempted to crush the metal pole. They only succeeded in giving me pain. It was enough. I deserved it. Thirty-Third Street was only two stops away. It wasn't far, but as the train started off, I knew I'd done exactly what Torchwick had wanted. With the aid of pandemonium above—which he had certainly had a hand in—I'd lost the police. I was entirely on my own from here on out. No more support. No more backup. Just me and my idiot brain that had got everyone into this mess.

The train was painfully slow. Every squeak and rattle as it bounced over the bumps in the tracks grated on my already frayed nerves. I constantly expected news of the _terrorist attack_ to come over the loudspeakers with the message the train would be held in the tunnels. If that happened, I didn't know what I would do. I suppose there were always the emergency exits.

Ruby's life was dependent on every passing second I was stuck in this cage. I couldn't keep myself still. I urged the train on faster with my tapping foot. The first stop came and went without incident, and the moment the doors opened for the second I was out of them, casting around for the stairs to the street.

I still couldn't afford to sprint, but I walked as fast as I dared, dodging around the idlers who only seemed intent on getting in my way. My sneakers had barely made it more than two steps onto the sidewalk before the phone in my hand went off. A chill shot down my spine and all my hairs stood on end. Someone was watching.

"There's no use looking around." The voice was markedly different from Torchwick's. His had sounded jovial no matter what he was saying; this one was deep and business-like. "If you want to see your friend again, take a right and walk to the end of the block."

I did as instructed; any of my questions were met by a wall of silence. I must have looked like half the people on the street walking with a phone on my ear, but I couldn't have been more different. I didn't understand how the sun could be so bright and the temperature so chill.

The man at the end of the phone guided me along several blocks before directing me into a darkened alley. After I'd come this far it wasn't enough to put me off. A sedan idled in the shadows and a man leant against the trunk. He wore a cheap knock-off suit, but the bulge under his jacket looked very real.

"Cell." From his voice I could tell it was a different man. Just how many people did Torchwick have working for him?

"What?"

"Cell." The man held out his hand palm up. "Don't make me repeat myself again." He'd done time in prison if the tattoos on his knuckles were any indication. I'd have liked to say the words were original, but that would have been a stretch too far.

I passed him the phone, but he continued to glare at me. "Yours as well."

Oh, right. That had been sitting in my pocket this entire time. I'd been far too distracted by the one which hadn't left my hand. There was a chance the police had been tracking me this entire time. Taiyang wouldn't just have given up after I'd gone AWOL.

The man pulled the cases off of both and flipped the batteries out. I knew what was coming next, but it was still painful. His heel crashed down on the phone I'd spent months saving for. The burner followed its demise.

"The USB." He was a man of few words. My fingers clutched the hard plastic that had caused me so much trouble. It was my last bit of leverage, the last part that Torchwick wanted, but I needed to save Ruby. As ridiculous as it was to admit it, I could only pray that Torchwick was true to his word. I handed it over.

"Good." The man pocketed it. "Now strip."

"Excuse me?" The question burst from me. Over the noise from the bustling street echoing in the alley, I was sure I had misheard.

The man didn't even deign to answer; instead he simply turned his back and walked towards the driver's seat. My stomach lurched as I realised what I'd done.

"Wait! Wait!" I hopped on one foot as I tried to undo my sneakers. He came to stop. I'd never had that much trouble undoing a knot in my life. "Why?"

"Because I said so. Put your clothes in here." He threw an empty trash bag at the ground. "Now hurry up."

It was another order that I couldn't refuse. That's what happens when all the cards are in someone else's hands. It was either their way or the highway. Still though, stripping in front of a random guy, and in public, wasn't exactly high on my lists of desires.

It wasn't that it was too cold. In fact it was warm enough that you could walk around without a shirt in comfort. Not that I ever would though, that was reserved for people with actual abs. I was too embarrassed about my body, and that was the root of my hesitation. We were in the shadows, but if anyone on the street looked they would be able to see me.

The gangster noticed and popped the trunk, giving me something to hide behind. "You're wasting time."

I was, and he wasn't going anywhere. I saved the slightest bit of my dignity by turning my back on him. It was hard to undress when someone was watching, and even harder when your best friend was being tortured at that very moment. My fingers could hardly find the buttons.

I half-thought this might be an elaborate piece of payback. That the goon would drive off and leave me in the middle of Manhattan in my underwear. If only I was so fortunate. He flicked his eyes towards the single shred of my remaining dignity.

"Come on…" I said half-pleading and half-exasperated. This was taking the piss. I obviously wasn't hiding a gun or something down there. I wasn't that lucky.

"Look, I don't want to be staring at your junk any more than you want me to. We can either get this over with, or I can leave. Your choice."

It was the longest speech I'd heard from him. I was surprised he wasn't out of breath. But he had a point too. I hadn't come this far to give up. I slipped them off. Despite what he'd said, the guy did look. My face burned bright as I covered the family jewels.

My pulse skyrocketed when he put his hand in his jacket, but it only came out with something that looked like one of those metal detectors used by the TSA. He swept it over both my front and back. As the purpose of the item clicked, I was suddenly very glad I hadn't tried to be smart and kept the GPS tracker on. Torchwick really didn't mess around with his security. No wonder he'd been one step ahead of the police.

"Get in." The goon indicated the trunk, shoving a small pile of clothes at me. "You can change on the way."

I almost made the mistake of making him repeat himself again. Of course I wasn't going to be allowed to ride in the cab. These were gangsters after all. This was their version of taxis, and at least there wasn't a bullet in my head… yet. That was a sobering thought as the lid of the trunk slammed like a coffin above me.

I'm not sure if you've ever taken a ride in the trunk of a car. I'll just say it doesn't quite compare to an Uber. The lighting was non-existent, and so was the AC. Every breath scolded my lungs and sweat poured from my skin within moments. The leg room wasn't exactly worth five stars either. My knees were crushed up against my chest, and my neck was twisted at angle.

The commute was the worst part though. We were in Manhattan, and that meant New York traffic. Stops, sudden bursts of acceleration, hard braking, and lots of ninety degree turns threw me around the enclosed space. I didn't know how I was unable to brace myself but at the same time be so cramped. More than once my skull bounced off the lining. The impacts combined with the heat set my head spinning.

Against all of the adversity I did my best to pull on the clothes. I couldn't tell if I was putting them on back to front or inside out, but I doubted anyone would be critiquing my fashion sense when we arrived. Not that I knew where that would be. I'd lost track after the first turn. Just one of the advantages of having your passenger in the trunk. Much less complaining than a blindfold as well.

In the pitch-black there was no way for me to tell how my time had passed. I could have sworn it was hours, but it was probably more like twenty minutes. I remembered reading somewhere that trunks were meant to have an escape handle on the inside. I guessed no one had told the gangsters that. I was entirely trapped.

I only realised we'd stopped for good when the rumble of the engine died away. As the trunk popped the bright lights set my eyes watering and I had to blink up at the silhouette.

"Out." It was my chauffeur. I did my best to oblige. It would have been pleasant to say I clambered out gracefully, but you can't really use clamber and gracefully in the same sentence.

The concrete slabs were cold on my bare feet. They hadn't given me shoes, just a t-shirt and some loose shorts. We were inside somewhere, a garage maybe, or a warehouse. Those seemed like the sort of places the mafia would operate from.

It was only after a moment I realised we weren't alone. Another man stood near the doors we'd just driven through. He was packing as well. I gulped at his hard eyes. What was I thinking of? These were criminals; I was just a dumb kid.

The answer was obvious. Ruby. I'd been thinking of Ruby. I'd gotten her into this mess, and I was going to get her out of it. Somehow… I still had to come up with that part of the plan. My chauffeur shoved me towards a single door deeper into the building.

My guess had been right. We were in a small warehouse, and a mostly abandoned one at that. Who'd have thought? Crates were stacked around the floor, rifles surrounded by straw neatly arranged within. They looked military grade. I was prodded around a pile.

"Ruby!" My cry echoed in the cavernous space. It was closely followed by my rage. I was barely able to think over the red. She hung limply, her wrists bound together by a rope draped over a crane hook near the ceiling, her head lolling on her chest, her eyes half-closed, gagged with a strip of tape. She wasn't even capable of bearing her own weight. The shredded remnants of her pyjamas gave the reason why.

My eyes locked on the one who'd done this to her. Not Torchwick, but the woman, Neo. Her grin stoked the fires of my anger. She was proud of her work, letting the whip trail casually on the floor. My hands longed to wrap around her tiny neck.

"Afternoon Jaune, did you enjoy the trip?" Torchwick swung a cane of all things around his finger, speaking in that insufferably light voice.

"What did you do to her?" My throat was so choked with rage I wasn't even sure if they counted as words.

"No, no, no." Torchwick wagged his free finger. "We didn't do anything. You did this to her. Have you already forgotten? Perhaps you need another reminder."

"Touch her again and I'll kill you."

Not many men would have been able to laugh in the face of such a threat. It wasn't a bold boast. In that moment, I would try my hardest. Torchwick was one of the few though, and his chuckle was genuine, as was the glint in his eye. He turned to his sidekick, both enjoying themselves at my expense.

"Now that is a sight I would really like to see. Perhaps you'd like to try your luck against Neo here." When I didn't start forward immediately, he feigned disappointment. "No? Such a shame."

"Mmmm?" Ruby grunted through her gag. I didn't understand what she was trying to say, but the rasping tone pierced straight through my anger like a bullet. Ruby looked at me blearily through hooded eyes, doing her best to support herself again.

"Ruby, I'm here." Empathic hurt washed over me. I'd never seen her brought so low before. Not even after her mom's death, and it was all my fault.

"Ahh… sleeping beauty awakes." Torchwick threw his hands to the sky. "Fantastic. Now we can get started. No, you stay right there Jaune." He chivvied me away from Ruby.

I was forced to watch as Neo approached Ruby, a smile lighting up her features. She looked like a cat approaching a wounded bird. She ran one finger along a welt across Ruby's shoulder blades. The pained moan from Ruby broke whatever resolve I had to stand still and not throttle Neo.

A hand clamped down on my shoulder. There was absolutely no give in it.

"Thank you Pero." Torchwick addressed my driver. "We wouldn't want anything to get messy would we?"

"No boss."

Torchwick turned to me, this time any joviality was gone from his gaze. "Jaune, the next time you disobey me, you're going to have to watch as I let Neo have some fun." Ruby shivered at the threat. "So are you going to behave?"

"Yes," I growled out through gritted teeth. What could I do anyway? I had to be smart. That was the only way we were going to get out of this. And that included not reacting as Neo continued to prod and caress Ruby's wounds. She looked at me the entire time, daring me to come to Ruby's rescue. I wanted to. So much. But I couldn't.

"Excellent. Did you bring me a present?"

"Yes."

Torchwick clapped his hands together like a kid on Christmas morning. "And you thought this couldn't be a beautiful relationship. Well hand it over then."

"Here is it boss." Pero passed it to Torchwick who threw it to another of his goons. "Go and check it." The man disappeared through one of the side doors. "I hope you haven't tried to trick me Jaune."

"I haven't. It's real. I've held up my end of the bargain. Now let Ruby go."

"So chivalrous. You didn't even mention yourself."

With a lurching stomach I realised I hadn't. It didn't matter anyway. I knew what I'd been getting myself into. If only one of us was allowed to leave, so be it. This was my fault. I was man enough to suffer the consequences.

"But I don't think either of you will be leaving quite yet."

"You gave your word."

"Did I? Think back Jaune, and think really hard before accusing an Italian of breaking his word. That wouldn't sit well with me."

Realisation hit me. Torchwick hadn't. He'd never said that he'd let us go. He'd only said if I obeyed him I would get to see Ruby again. Well there she was right in front of me. Hanging from the roof by her wrists and with tear stains on her cheeks. All this time I'd been relying on his compassion, or humanity, or something else which would persuade him to allow us to leave. But why would he? We'd seen his face, the faces of his men. The smart thing to do would be to kill us and dump our bodies at the docks. I had to be smarter. Somehow.

"I gave you what you wanted."

Torchwick swept his arms wide in a bow. "And I'm grateful that you did, but didn't you wonder why I went through all this trouble? Why I had Pero bring you here? Why I didn't just snatch you from your apartment?"

I hadn't. I'd been too concerned about Ruby, but now he mentioned it, it didn't make much sense. There had been any number of easier ways, and he'd gone for one of the hardest. "You wanted to meet me."

"Obviously." He shook his head. "I had to meet the famed Jaune Arc of Rising Arc Investigations. The private eye who, not content with crying housewives and petty vandalism, decided to poke his head into my business. I had to look the person who stole my property in the eye. Hello Jaune. Nice to meet you."

There was nothing in his gaze. No mercy. No compassion. No empathy. Nothing. With some people you just knew they weren't quite right in the head. You knew it from the moment you saw them. Neo was like that. She was all kinds of fucked up. Torchwick wasn't. At least not when he was putting on a façade. Now though, the look he gave me made my knees tremble.

I'd made a mistake. He hadn't even considered letting us get out alive. We didn't have a chance. I'd voluntarily walked into the wolf's den while wearing a sheep costume. I was dead. I knew that in my heart. He was going to make me pay for having the gall to steal from him. His reputation demanded it, and people like him lived and died by their reputations. Strangely, I wasn't paralysed by the fear of my own mortality. I might have been had I been alone. But I wasn't. Ruby was with me. _We_ didn't have a chance, but I had to try for her.

"You don't want to do this."

Torchwick laughed, full of good humour, and that was enough to set his cronies off. "And why would I not?"

"I don't matter. I can disappear and very few people are going to care." It was sad, but it was true. My family. My friends. No one else. "Ruby's different. If you kill her, you're going paint a giant target on your back. Every cop in the city is going to be after you."

I hated the sound of his laughter. I hated it so much. "I think they already are. It comes with the profession."

"Not like they will be. You know that's true. You'd be a cop killer. You'd never be able to rest again. The FBI would get involved, every agency. They all look out for one another. And cop killers get brought to justice the way their colleagues want. If you kill her, you'll be digging your own grave." I forced my voice lower, colder for the final threat. It was my only play. The only way I could think of getting Ruby out of this.

Some of Torchwick's goons shifted their weight from foot to foot. My statement had struck a little too close to the mark. Even Pero's grip loosened minutely at the distracting thought. Conflicts against other gangs were to be expected; the police were another matter entirely. In the end, there would be only one winner in a direct confrontation. Torchwick had put them on the path towards that.

"Is that true Red?" Roman nodded to Neo.

Ruby still hung limply, unable to fully support her weight. She cringed away as Neo's fingers approached her face. Someone else might just have ripped the tape gagging Ruby away, but that wasn't enough for Neo. She pulled it slowly, looking deep into Ruby's eyes and doing in the most painful way possible. I cringed but forced myself to stay still. Ruby spat a loose ball of tape onto the dusty floor and worked her jaw.

"Well?" Torchwick had allowed Neo all the time in the world to play, but he wouldn't wait for anyone else.

"Yeah," Ruby grunted. Despite the obvious pain, exhaustion, anger, and suffering it contained, I'd never been happier to hear Ruby's voice. It made her seem more real. She hadn't been beaten. Not yet. She was still there. "You'll all be fucked."

"Looks like someone's still got some fight in her. I'm impressed." Torchwick might have been, but Neo wasn't. She pouted at Ruby as if she'd suddenly discovered her favourite toy had stopped working.

"You heard her." I had to try and keep the momentum. Try and keep the discussion on point. "If you kill her the cops will hunt every one of you down." I addressed everyone. If I couldn't appeal to Torchwick, maybe there was a chance some of other people in the room wouldn't be willing to sign their own death sentences. They might not have been, but fear or respect of their boss kept them from speaking out.

"But you see there's my problem." Torchwick stalked closer to me. "Red's already here. We're already 'fucked' as she so eloquently put it. And in my opinion, it's much harder to get a corpse to give evidence. Don't you agree?" He patted me on the cheek.

"No. We won't say anything."

Torchwick laughed again. "I find that hard to believe. Are you not going to say anything Red? Are you not going to name names?"

From the look in Ruby's eyes for an eternal moment I thought she was going to tell him to go fuck himself. No doubt it would have been more than satisfying after everything they'd done to her, maybe even worth the consequences, but it would have screwed the pair of us. Instead Ruby looked down.

"No."

"Oh fantastic. You can both go then."

There was no way anyone could have mistaken his remark for anything other than a sarcastic retort. My stomach clenched. It was sort of strange really. Rather than regretting the impending loss of my own life, I only cared that I'd be costing my best friend in the entire world hers. It wasn't true in very many cases, but Ruby could honestly say she would have been better off if she had never met me.

I met her wet eyes, trying to say I was sorry without speaking. I didn't want to share this moment with anyone else in the room. They didn't deserve it. This was just between the two of us. Ruby nodded, her lip trembling. She understood. Or at least I hoped she did.

"What? No last words for each? Nothing else." Ruby glared at Torchwick. I doubted it was in her to beg. She was too strong, and she knew the truth. Torchwick had made up his mind before I'd even arrived, probably before he'd even snatched her. Everything I'd done had been futile.

But I couldn't meekly accept our fates. I was weaker than she was. "If you kill us you'll never get what you want."

"Really? I have you both here, and you were already kind enough to give me what I'd asked for.

I bared my teeth in a grin. "Did I? Then what's taking your guy so long?" I didn't know where I was going with this, and no doubt it was a futile attempt to appear cocksure and confident, but I'd take even imaginary leverage.

My question might have been baseless but, like the best boasts, it did have a glimmer of fact. Torchwick's guy had been gone for a long time. Much longer than it would have taken to plug the stick into a laptop. I didn't know what had distracted him, maybe he was browsing Reddit, but it gave Torchwick pause. He nodded in Neo's direction.

"Go and check." For the first time, there was the hint of actual concern hidden beneath his light tone. Something hadn't gone to his meticulous plan. As she prowled off, Torchwick turned back to me, trying to rediscover his care-free smile. "So tell me Jaune, what dastardly scheme have you concocted?"

I'd never been particularly good under pressure—not like that—and you would have been hard pressed to find a more pressing situation. Exam halls had nothing on rooms full of mobsters and impending deaths. Ruby was staring at me as well. I didn't need a thesaurus to describe the tiny glint in her eyes. It was hope. She was hoping I hadn't been as much of an idiot as I had been.

"Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to come here without taking precautions?" I threw out. Torchwick obviously thought yes from the look on his face. I tried to ignore that. What I needed here was some grade-A bullshitting. Ren may have been our group's Dungeon Master, but I could still spin a story. "If you kill us, you'll never be able to access the data on that stick. I hope your guy hasn't been stupid enough to ignore the warnings." _Yes, keeping it vague was a good idea._

"What warnings?" Torchwick's brow furrowed as his voice darkened. He finally seemed like an actual person rather than the caricature he chose to present.

"Oh… nothing major. Just if you put the wrong password in three times it'll wipe the whole drive. Good luck recovering the data too when it's overwritten a couple of thousand times. I'm sure that'll be no problem for you."

Torchwick shrugged. "You're right. That's not a problem. Especially when every second you don't tell me the password is one where Red is going to wish she was dead."

Ruby whimpered at the threat but, when I caught her eye, I saw something I hadn't expected. She trusted me. She trusted that whatever game I was running was for the best. I could only hope I was worthy of her trust.

I forced out a chuckle. It was a pale imitation of Torchwick's, but it had the desired effect. Perhaps annoying him wasn't the cleverest move, but angry people make mistakes. "I mean, we could do that. But it wouldn't help you. The encryption is geo-tagged." I was pretty sure that was a thing. I think I'd seen it on TV one time. "The drive will only unlock when it's at a specific set of coordinates. Let Ruby go and we can take a little road trip."

"Bullshit." His laughter rang around the room. "You actually had me going there for a moment. Well played. You wouldn't have made a half-bad grifter, but you should have learned where to draw the line."

_Shit._ But I was in too deep to stop now. "Oh really? Then what's taking Neo so long?"

It was almost exactly the same line I had said earlier. Neo should have been returned and Torchwick knew it. He whirled around to stare at the door, before glancing back to me. I had no clue what was happening, but I rolled with it. I sneered the same way he liked to. I would have liked to say I didn't enjoy it, but I did.

"Luca, Franco, go and see." Torchwick's unease permeated through the air. The two of them approached tentatively, trying to peer through the opening that had swallowed their two colleagues. They exchanged a look before stepping through.

Nothing happened. They disappeared from view down the corridor and we were left standing in middle of the warehouse. Seconds ticked by.

"Fuck this." Torchwick drew a pistol and pushed it up against Ruby's forehead. He looked me in the eye. "Tell me what's going on." The humour had evaporated from his voice leaving it cold and dry like the Antarctic tundra.

He wasn't making an idle threat. I recognised that as surely as a rabbit recognises the headlight of a speeding car. I'd pushed Torchwick too far, but then he had never been planning to let us leave alive anyway. I'd bought us time, but it wasn't enough. We only had one chance. I continued to sneer.

"You don't know?"

Torchwick racked the slide of his gun and in that singular moment I threw my head back into Pero's face. The back of my skull slammed into something hard. It hurt, but I was willing to bet I'd hurt him more. I wrenched myself from his grip and threw myself at Torchwick.

Ruby's foot lashed into his side and, as he recoiled, I hit him with a flying tackle a quarterback would have been proud of. We both crashed onto the concrete floor. He might have been better at fighting than me, he might have had a lifetime of experience climbing his way up the brutal ranks of the mafia, but it didn't matter.

His strength was nothing compared to mine as we tussled for the gun, my hands locked on his wrists, slowly, ever so slowly, turning the gun away from my best friend. Our faces were inches apart, my body on top of his. I had the leverage and I used it.

A hand tried to pull me off him, but there was grunt and the pressure disappeared. However brief the distraction gave Torchwick the opportunity he needed. His lips were drawn back to the gums exposing both rows of perfectly white teeth in a snarl. The gun turned back towards me.

I reared up, lessened the pressure on his wrists, and slammed my forehead against his nose. Bone broke with a satisfying crunch. A rattle of pain escaped him and his fingers spasmed open.

Rolling off him, I snatched the pistol from the floor. Ruby had somehow gotten free of the hook that had suspended her and tussled with two of Torchwick's goons even if her hands were still bound. Judging by the pained expressions all round it looked like she was giving as good as she got.

The three of them were a mess of tangled limbs as I brought the gun to bear. It was colossal in my hands and far heavier than it had any right to be. The barrel shook as I wrapped my finger around the trigger, wildly aiming it at the ceiling.

The pistol almost leapt out of my hands as the bang echoed around the cavernous room and in my ears. The furious tussle was brought to halt in the silence that followed.

"Let her go." The harsh smell of chemicals tore at the inside of my nostrils. Torchwick started laughing. He sounded like the joker. "Shut up!" I shouted as I turned to him, pointing the gun at his bloodied face and longing to pull the trigger. I could do it. I knew that. After everything he had done to Ruby you bet your ass I could do it and sleep soundly afterwards.

"You got balls kiddo, I'll give you that. But you don't have the brains to go with it." He pushed himself to his feet with his cane, blood dripping from his ruined nose. "Look around you. You're fucked."

I was. Torchwick's men had all pulled their own guns and were all pointing them squarely at me. Resolve settled on me. My hands stopped shaking, the barrel stopped trembling. "Put them down or I kill your boss." I barely recognised my own voice. It was so cold and calm. "We're going to walk straight out of here."

Torchwick shook his head. "No you're not Jaune. But go on then. Pull the trigger. See where it gets you." He raised his cane towards my face and the end cap flicked open, revealing a darkened hole.

We stared at each other down the barrels of two guns. He was going to order it. I could sense it on the air. I could sense my final breath in this world. I could only try and ensure that Ruby escaped. If I killed Torchwick, maybe even another one of his men as I bled out, maybe it would be enough. It would have to be. I filled my lungs to the fullest capacity. Even the stagnant air of the warehouse had never been sweeter.

Torchwick and I stared each other down as each frantic heartbeat lasted for an eternity. We stared as we counted our last. And we stared at each other as another gun went off.

We both jumped. The report had been far louder than before. One of Torchwick's goons dropped in a spray of blood. A man emerged from the doorway at the back of the warehouse, pumping a shotgun that had been sawn down to well below legal limits. He wore an oriental black and red suit that matched his hair. My eyes were drawn to his mask though. It wasn't a plain balaclava. It was stylised, obscuring only the top half of his face and covered in red symbols.

Pero raised his gun towards the new threat. Two bangs rang around the warehouse and he dropped. Another man came from a different angle, this one carrying a smoking rifle, blond messy hair showing above a mask that was different from the first. His covered the entirety of his face. I guess I knew who the leader was, especially when more of his crew emerged. More masked figures emerged from all around.

"Drop your weapons." The first intruder spoke, his voice deep and powerful. He looked at me. "All of you." I didn't but he continued to walk forward, his shotgun aimed straight towards Torchwick's centre mass. He didn't seem scared of Torchwick's own cane-pistol, or maybe he was just crazy. Dressed like that I knew what my money was on.

"Don't," Torchwick commanded, keeping his gun on me. His remaining men shifting their aim between targets. They were outnumbered, not that Torchwick cared. "Ox, I don't remember sending you an invite to this party."

_Ox? As in the animal?_ I cast around until my gaze settled upon a figure approaching Torchwick's blind side on silent feet. The person had the right build, and the same raven hair, but it was the gun held in her hands that confirmed my suspicions. It was the same suppressed pistol that Leone had pointed at me just a few nights before. It was The Tigress definitely, and I was surrounded by the White Fang.

"Drop your guns." The Ox repeated, not rising to Torchwick's bait. "I'm not here to play games,"

"If you do they'll kill you," Torchwick said to his men.

"If you don't we will anyway. We don't want you. We just want him, and his little assistant. Ask yourselves, is he really worth dying for?"

It was the question that no boss wanted to hear. At the end of the day, few concepts triumphed over self-preservation, and money wasn't one of them. Torchwick didn't seem like the kind of person to inspire loyalty simply for loyalty's sake.

It only took one clattering gun on concrete before the rest fell like dominoes. "Fucking traitors! I'll remember this," spat Torchwick, moving his gun towards The Ox for the first time.

Mine remained pointed at his face. I could end it. Now. I could get revenge. I could get payback for everything he had done to Ruby. To me. It was the right thing to do. I squeezed the trigger.

The Tigress caught my eye and shook her head. She knew what I was thinking. She knew exactly what I was thinking. The same hatred boiled in her gaze. The same primal need for retribution. Seeing that fire sapped the energy from me. As much as I wanted to in this moment, I wasn't a killer, a murderer. Ruby would want Torchwick to face justice, not an extrajudicial firing squad.

The Tigress nodded as my pistol lowered by a fraction of an inch. She put a finger to her exposed lips.

"Where is the girl?" The Ox asked. He must have meant Neo. What had happened to her? She'd gone through the door The Ox had emerged from.

"Oh, don't worry, she's around. But I'd advise all of you to watch your backs."

"I could say the same to you." The Ox grinned as Torchwick's eyes widened. He spun around, but The Tigress was already on the move. Her left hand clamped down over his, jerking the barrel of his cane away from her comrade. With her right she pressed her own pistol up against Torchwick's forearm and pulled the trigger. The cough of the suppressed weapon was entirely obscured by Torchwick's scream.

He staggered to the side, clutching his bloodied arm. The Tigress retreated holding both weapons. You would never have known from her body language that she'd just shot someone, but you'd never have known that from any of them.

I lowered my pistol. They were just so different from normal people, from me. This _was_ normal to them. I'd thought Leone was dangerous when I'd first saw her—admittedly she had been pointing a gun at me—but I was proven right here.

"Fuck you!" Torchwick's voice had lost any trace of his mocking tone. It was harsh and pained. Specks of white glistened between his fingers.

"Not so eloquent now are you?" The Ox approached him, fingering his shotgun, his jaw set in stone.

The Tigress stepped in front of my view, and took the unbearably heavy gun from my hands. Guiding me to Ruby she sawed through her bonds with a knife. "Jaune, Ruby, are you hurt?"

It was a stupid question. Stupid enough that I wanted to slap her. Of course Ruby was, Leone only had to look at her to know that. This close I could see the angry topography of every welt beaten into her pale skin. It was a horror show.

"No," Ruby answered, rubbing her bloody wrists. I wasn't surprised she'd said that. She was too tough for her own good. The physical pain was probably nothing compared to her mental turmoil. Her eyes darted around, taking the corpses, the blood, the weapons, the kneeling men, and finally Torchwick. Her instincts as a cop cried out for her to take one course of action, the self-preserving human side of her no doubt another.

"Good." The Tigress nodded to herself. "And thank you Jaune," she said in barely louder than a breath. "Monkey, can you show them out?"

"Sure." The man who'd shot Pero nodded. "This way."

Ruby didn't move. She just stared at Torchwick. I put my arm around her shoulders, careful not to brush any of her injuries. "Ruby, we need to go," I spoke ever so softly, little more than a gentle whisper on the breeze.

"But…" she was torn in two, but both parts wanted to remain here. To dole out justice, one way or another.

"No." I was sure about that. Leone had showed me. As much as I had wanted it at the time, I could no more have murdered Torchwick than Ruby could. It would have haunted me to my grave and the act would have destroyed her. She was a good person through and through. I couldn't let a singular moment of weakness ruin that. "Come on." The gentle pressure of my arm was enough to get her moving.

Under The Monkey's watchful gaze, I retraced my steps. I couldn't have felt more different to when I'd entered. Then I'd been so terrified that I could have thrown up. Now I was terrified for a different reason. Ruby was alive, that was beyond my wildest dreams, but the Ruby of yesterday wouldn't have stared at a man as if she wanted to kill him. The ordeal had changed her. It wasn't a surprise at all, and I didn't blame her in the slightest. It was only natural to want vengeance. The blame could only fall upon my shoulders.

I didn't let Ruby stop even as Torchwick started ranting, at The Ox, at The Tigress, at his men, and even at us. His words blended into nothingness. I knew they were as futile as mine had been when I was at his mercy.

The Monkey led us to a small door and held out his hand. "Here's a hundred, enough for a cab. I'm guessing you're going to phone the cops as soon as you can." He held up his hand to cut off my protest. "Do it, she needs to get to a hospital. We'll be long gone by then anyway. I doubt you'll find a working payphone in a mile. I'm sorry you're going to have to walk."

He showed us through the door and glorious sunlight assaulted me. It had never felt so warm. In the dingy warehouse I'd entirely forgotten how incredible sunlight felt. So had Ruby. It made her skin glow as she basked in it.

"Thank you," I said to him. The White Fang might have been criminals, they might have killed, but I knew who I would rather have seen dead when the other option was Ruby. They'd saved her. Saved me. I'd never be able to repay them.

"Oh…" His ears turned red under his hair. "We weren't doing this for you. We had a score to settle with Torchwick. And good work stalling him. We never would have got into position otherwise. It's almost like you knew."

What the hell did that mean? With a final toothy grin, he shut the door in our faces. We had been in a warehouse, and one in a rundown area judging by the smashed windows all around. I didn't know exactly where. We certainly weren't in Manhattan, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that we were alive.

For a moment, I just breathed in the air, revelled in the sunlight, basked as the concrete cooked my bare soles, and savoured the heat of Ruby flowing into my side. The steady rhythm of her breath had never sounded so good. We were alive. Ruby was alive. My best friend was alive. I'd never wanted to hold her as much as I did then, and the reverse was true. Perhaps the smartest thing to do would have been to run, but neither of us had ever been very smart—Ruby was my friend after all.

She pulled me to her, burying her face in my chest, and her own racked by sobs. There was no lack of strength in her arms as she clung to me, but there was in her legs. I had to take her weight as she cried. Whether it was from joy, or frustrated anger, or pain, or any number of possible things I didn't know, but I knew why tears rolled down my cheeks into her hair. Mine were tears of relief, pure and simple.

"Ruby, I'm so sorry."

Her sobs, cut off long enough for her to mutter against my chest. "Don't. Please, just don't."

So I didn't. Instead I just held her as she went back to crying against me. I'd never felt closer to her than in that moment. We'd encountered death and we'd somehow come away triumphant, but more importantly we'd encountered it together. I'd seen Ruby's true self in there, all her courage and strength, and it had never been more beautiful. I was the luckiest person in the world just because I knew her.

I didn't know how long we held our embrace. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, but eventually even Ruby's strength gave way. I only just managed to stop her falling. She'd been through too much. I wasn't really that musclebound—I didn't hit the gym nearly enough—but I scooped her up into a bridal carry. For Ruby, I'd find a way to get her to safety. She looked blearily into my eyes and, as I held her in my arms, a smile curled its way onto her lips.

I took a step. A gun boomed in the silence. It made me jump, but I didn't look back. I carried on walking. Ruby was safe. That was all that mattered.


	12. Chapter 12

There was nothing quite like the feeling of coming home after a trying day. It didn't matter if you lived in a tent or a palace, the relief was the same. Of course, I was only guessing about the palace part, but still.

The last few days had been trying. I'd spent them going between Ruby's bed at the hospital and the police station. The only reason I was outside my apartment now was because she'd ordered me home. Apparently waiting rooms weren't meant for sleeping, especially when Ruby was no longer in danger.

That was one fact I still didn't quite believe. It didn't matter how many doctors or nurses told me. I'd still spent the past few days waiting for bad news. For that one phone call that would break my world. It had never come. Ruby was fine, she was even smiling, but then of course she was. And she was telling everyone not to worry about her. Like that would happen. Not with me, or her dad, or her sister.

Yang hadn't forgiven me yet. Taiyang might have spent half his time calling me an idiot, and the other half a hero, but Yang hadn't. She had offered me a single stilted display of gratitude, before doing her best to pretend I didn't exist. This was not an easy task with both of us sitting in the same room for hours on end, but she managed it.

Her apathy was fine. I deserved it and so much more. It didn't matter that I'd been the 'hero' when I'd gotten Ruby into the situation in the first place. Without me she wouldn't have needed a saviour. Yang might forgive me eventually—Ruby would no doubt force her to—but I would never forgive myself.

That was part of the reason I'd stayed at the hospital. Surrounded by the noise and bustle of a busy ward, I hadn't had any time alone with my thoughts. As I stepped into my darkened and cold apartment, I had nothing but time.

My keys and phone clattered as I tossed them onto the table. I should have really have called my parents, my sisters, but what could I say? I got Ruby kidnapped by the mafia and then got kidnapped too. Don't worry though, we're both fine. I'll be home for Thanksgiving. How's the cat doing? Yeah, that was conversation I wanted to put off indefinitely.

My stomach growled. It was only then that I realised I'd forgotten to eat. Again. The act just hadn't seemed all that important at the hospital. I'd had better things to do, like worry. The only time I'd found the energy to fulfil my body's needs was when someone brought me something.

The cupboards in my kitchen were no doubt bare—let's just say shopping had been the last thing on my list of priorities—but then again I was an American; I could eat pretty much anything as long as it was between two slices of bread.

It wasn't really a conscious decision to eat. More my body decided to do it of its own accord and I shuffled into the kitchen on laboured feet. I was more tired than any time in my life.

I flicked on the light. A package sat on my table. One that I hadn't left there. My hairs stood on end as I cast around. My fatigue was banished in a roar of adrenaline. Someone had been here. Might still be here.

My apartment was quiet, not that it mattered. It had been quiet before. I pulled a knife from a drawer. I'd wanted it to be over. The police had found Torchwick's body and those of his men, but not Neo's. It wasn't close to being over, despite the cops saying they were searching the city for her. We should have all been able to start moving forward with our lives, and yet I couldn't. Not while the package sat on my table.

I felt violated more than anything. Someone had been here, in my home, without my permission. Again. It wasn't something I could explain properly. You had to experience it. This was the place I was supposed to feel safe, and over the past week it had proven to be anything but.

"Hello?" No one answered. I didn't expect them to. I stalked through my apartment with cold metal pressed against my forearm, turning on lights, and checking cupboards. It didn't take me long to conclude I was alone. There was one benefit to the insanity of New York's tiny apartment rental market.

With my circuit complete, I was only more frustrated and furious, while not the least bit terrified. The package sat on the table, a black hole to my attention. I leant closer, my heart pounding in my ears. It could have been a bomb, but if it was, why was it in plain sight and not under my bed or something?

It was wrapped in simple brown paper and twine. There was a tag tied to one of the strings. I flicked it over with the tip of the knife.

_Jaune,_  
I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this.  
Leone.

_Leone_. I should have known. She'd already proved she could break into my apartment before, what was one more time? And she'd left an apology of sorts. No longer fearing a bomb, I picked up the parcel. It was heavy, much heavier than its size suggested.

A memory stick fell out of it first. The same white one with a blue snowflake. The one that had caused all this trouble. Bile rose in my throat as I just looked at it. How could something so simple have caused so much misery?

And Weiss. She hadn't said a word to the police. There was absolutely nothing linking her to the investigation apart from her being the victim of a robbery. They hadn't been able to arrest her either. They'd only had polite conversations where she'd won them over as she had once done to me.

The memory stick was here, though it wasn't exactly the same as the last time I'd held it. Part of the casing had been removed. I peered closer. A circuit had been wedged into its innards, separate to the rest of the device.

It was tiny, but familiar. I could guess what it was. One of the thoughts that had distracted me from my self-loathing was pondering just how the White Fang had come to save the day? How had they known where we were? Leone had given me the answer.

She'd played me. Just like everyone else had played me. I should have been disgusted, instead my fatigue only returned in full force. I slumped down into a chair. The time she'd been here before, I'd caught her with the memory stick. Even then she'd been about a dozen steps ahead of me.

She must have known Torchwick was going to outwit the police, that I would have done anything to save Ruby, and that the memory stick would end up in his hands one way or another. The memory stick and the GPS tag that was hidden inside of it. I'd led the White Fang straight to him. At least The Monkey's gratitude made sense now. I'd been a tool in both senses of the word.

My fingers played a steady rhythm onto the table as I stared. I wasn't cut out for this life, not really. Investigating maybe, but not getting involved with criminals. They were just so much colder than I could ever be. While Leone had been here, trying to _persuade_ me _not_ to give the stick to Torchwick, and then wishing me luck, all that time she must have known that their plan could have gotten both Ruby and me killed. If Pero had inspected the USB, he might have found the tracking device. I didn't need to be a genius to know how that would have gone down. In the end circumstances had favoured the White Fang's plan, but it could have ended so differently. Would Leone even have cared? I couldn't say.

The paper came away from the bulk of the package easily enough, leaving what was within glittering on my table. For a moment I forgot how to breathe. I'd never seen that much gold, or silver, or platinum, or sapphires, or diamonds, or… you get the picture. I'd never seen that much shiny stuff gathered in one place before.

Weiss' music box sat before me. The music box that had belonged to a Russian princess. It had been a toy, but a toy that could have lifted so many out of poverty. With gratuitous largess like this, it was no wonder the people had risen up against the Tsars.

Even if the box was a staggering waste, it was undeniably beautiful. The animation, even the pictures Weiss had taken, didn't do it justice. They'd been unable to capture the finery of the engravings, every delicate swirl of the filigree on the lapis. A mere image on the screen couldn't have conveyed how the dozens of gemstones captured the light and split them into rainbows. It was incredible. Truly incredible.

The hinges offered no resistance to my fingers, and as soon as the lid opened, music began to play. The soft chimes floated through the still air of my kitchen and into my ears. Alexandra and Nicholas danced within, spinning, turning in an endless embrace. Knowing what had happened to the original owner, the beauty of it all caught in my throat.

What a gift the box would have been for a young princess, and what a gift it must have been for Weiss from her mother. It was a worth a fortune, but Leone had still given it back. I could guess why. Her apology had not been limited to mere words on paper.

The music box made sense, but why had she returned the memory stick out of all of Weiss' possessions? It couldn't just have been to tell me how they'd found Torchwick, she could have written that down as well. As the melody slowed, I set it playing again, and took the memory stick in my hand. Leone had to have had a reason. What was it? Unless…

On a whim I retrieved my laptop, but my brief optimism died. A box requesting a password still flashed. I had bullshitted Torchwick. There was no special encryption, and it didn't delete when you entered the wrong combination. Lord knows I'd tried enough times.

Why had Leone given the stick back to me? She must have wanted me to do something with it, but how could I when I didn't know the password? I bet she knew. So why hadn't she just given it to me?

I stared at the blinking cursor while the sonata trilled from the box. The gentle rise and fall of the music echoed in my mind. Something Leone had said to me the last time she was here came back to me. 'The weakest link is always the human link'. My jaw fell open. It couldn't have been that obvious.

It only took a quick Google search to bring up notes of the melody, and I pasted them into the box. It really was a secure password, a seemingly random combination of over a hundred upper and lower case letters and symbols. No one would have been able to guess it. Not without knowing the person who'd set it. I hit enter.

A red circle with an exclamation mark appeared. I slumped down in my chair. I'd been so sure, certain that I'd been about to get the answers I craved. Perhaps Leone had only meant for me to give the memory stick back to Weiss, not to know what it contained.

Defeated, I sat there and listened to the music box as it wound down, following the notes I'd copied into Word. _F# G F#..._ So on and so on. I had nothing better to do. My eyes snapped open. Just before the chorus, the pitch had gone down when it should have gone up. It happened again. Another subtle variation. The melody the music box was playing was different to the one I'd found online.

I went to YouTube and played the version from the film side by side with the real thing. They were different. I had no doubt. The tunes weren't the same. I'd been stupid to even think they would have been. The music in the film had been written to accompany a song. It might have sounded similar, but they hadn't been shooting for a hundred percent authenticity.

I set the music box playing again, concentrating intently with a pencil in my hand. I didn't have much of a musical ear, but I persevered and, after an hour, the folders began to appear. As I looked at them, I finally understood.

* * *

Weiss' secretary showed me into her office. I hadn't had to wait this morning. I'd barely sat down when I'd been chivvied up. This time Weiss didn't rise to greet me, instead she glared.

"Perhaps you would know why the police have been hounding me for the past week?" Her voice was chill.

I didn't say anything; instead I placed a neatly wrapped parcel on her desk. I took a seat.

"And what's this?"

"Open it and see."

I saw the exact moment her nimble fingers revealed what was inside. Her entire face lit up, a grin stretching from ear to ear. The happiness exuding from her was entirely unrestrained, it washed over me in a wave, and I couldn't help but smile with her.

"Jaune…" Weiss breathed as she removed the last of the paper. "You found it," she finished dumbly.

I very much doubted she had ever said anything so obvious or stupid, but she'd been thrown so far off-balance she'd forgotten to be embarrassed. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to know how much the box meant to her.

"How?" Weiss met my eyes with unbridled joy, and not the least bit of surprise.

"With a lot of work and a little help. I also found this." My voice was as cold as hers had been as I put her memory stick next to the box. Weiss' red tongue flicked against her pale lips.

"I… I don't understand."

"When you first came to my office, I asked you what was on these. You just said 'research'." I remembered that moment well, mainly because my awful attempt at a joke had been enshrined in my mind.

"Well… yes." Weiss looked down at the stick then back up to me. "That was the truth." Her voice had come out defensive.

"I know. I know." I let out a heavy sigh. It had been the truth, but not the whole truth. The whole truth might have saved me from all of this. "But you didn't tell me just how important that research was. Just what it might have done in the wrong hands."

"What?"

"The burglars never wanted your music box Weiss. Or your jewellery. Or the cash. They were hired by the mafia to steal this stick in particular. And you know why. I can see it in your eyes." Behind those sapphire portals, cogs and gears were turning.

"But…"

"You must have known Weiss. Why didn't you tell me?" I couldn't keep the accusation from my voice.

"Because it wasn't your business to know. It was no one's business. Not yet. It's private research." She leant forward in her chair, placing her palms flat on the desk. "And no, I did not _know_. How could I? They stole millions of dollars' worth of my belongings, but I was meant to know that they simply wanted some hydrogeology data? That would have been a wild stretch of logic."

I held up my hand. Maybe I had been unfair. Weiss' reasoning made sense. "That data almost got my friend killed." And me, but that didn't seem all that important in comparison.

Weiss looked away, her head falling. She spoke to the window. "I… heard. I'm… sorry."

Profiled against the window, she looked ever so beautiful, and ever so sad. The joy at the rediscovery of her mother's music box had fled from her. It wasn't her fault. Not really. I'd simply had to take my anger out on someone.

"Thank you." What else could you say to a heartfelt apology really? "I'm not sure how much of the data they were able to access. Probably all of it."

"And you?" Weiss asked me.

"Yes." I'd seen it all. All those maps of groundwater levels in Manhattan over the last couple of centuries. The data about the rivers and lakes nearby. How the constant urbanisation of the area was effecting the movement of water through the earth. The hypotheses of the effect it would have. And I'd seen my own photo, the one where I'd been standing next to Pyrrha before the sinkhole in the warehouse. I at least knew what had persuaded Weiss to take a chance on me in the first place.

"Great." Weiss' head sank into her hands.

"What are you going to do?"

Her ponytail swished side to side. "I don't know. It's not ready to be published."

"Ready or not people know."

"Jaune," Weiss bit her lip. "I need more data. It hasn't even been peer-reviewed. You do realise what this is showing right?" I nodded. "I can't just say that a quarter of Manhattan might be structurally unsound based on preliminary findings. If I'm right, the costs are going to spiral into the hundreds of billions. And if I'm wrong, I would never be able to show my face again. I'd be ruined for life."

My apartment was in the danger zone, as was my office. As were millions of other people's homes and places of work. The costs would be astronomical, as would the insurance claims. Anyone who knew ahead of Weiss' publication stood to make an absolute killing. At the end of the day, this had just been an insurance scam, though one with the value of billions. No wonder it had been worth killing over.

"Weiss, I'm not going to tell you what to do. I don't have that right. But people know now. The information is out there. People will profit from it at other people's expense."

"I know that." Weiss screwed up her eyes, her nose wrinkling. "I haven't even told my father because I know he would only view it as an opportunity to grow his fortune. You look at me and think I'm a spoiled rich girl playing at running a charity. Don't try and deny it, I saw it the first time you came here. Well I'm not." Her voice softened. "I am actually trying to improve other people's lives. And I won't be improving them by crashing the New York property market because I drew the wrong conclusions."

"And you won't be helping them if you are right and don't say anything either. In that case, sooner is better."

"I know." Weiss rolled the memory stick through her fingers as if it contained the weight of the world. To be fair, that wasn't far from the truth. I could only be glad it wasn't my decision to make.

"Well, rest assured that no one will hear anything from me."

Weiss smiled at me, her eyes glinting. "Thank you. You know, I thought I'd made a mistake on you at the start, and the middle if I'm honest, but you've come through for me. I don't know how to repay you."

I bit my tongue down on what I wanted to say. There was an easy way to repay me, to pay me. But that wouldn't have exactly been chivalrous, and I knew what people always said about me. "There's no need."

"Nonsense. If you ever need anything you only have to ask." A favour from the millionaire daughter of an ex-KGB billionaire. That was probably worth its weight in gold. "And as for your fee." She filled in a cheque and slid it across to me. My eyes widened when I saw the number. "The extra is for your friend. I know hospital stays aren't exactly cheap."

They weren't, even if you had insurance as good as Ruby's. Technically her injuries had been sustained off-duty, and though I'm sure Taiyang would sort it out in the end, the extra money would stop everyone worrying about it. "Thank you. This will mean a lot to us."

Weiss stood and held out her hand. "I can't convey how sorry I am all this happened. I would never have come to you if I'd realised."

I squeezed her cool skin. "You couldn't have known. And I don't hold a grudge." It was as much a surprise to me to realise that I didn't. Weiss hadn't done any of this maliciously, and she hadn't been involved. My first impressions of her hadn't been flawed. I was good at reading people.

Weiss smiled at me again. She really was stunningly pretty. "That's good to hear. If I ever have another problem that I think you can help with, I'll be in touch." She thought for a moment. "Though I promise they won't be as messy."

I showed her my teeth. "I somehow doubt that." We laughed together.

"And I'll tell my friends about you." With Weiss' money, she'd saved my business and my dream for the short and medium terms, but a steady stream of rich customers would save it in the long term as well.

"Thank you. Goodbye White Snow."

Weiss scowled, but it was a playful one. "Now I'm rethinking my tip. Goodbye Jaune, and so long."

I backed away two paces before turning. She was royalty after all. As I looked back for one last glimpse of her, I saw her flick open the lid of the music box, melancholic rapture enshrouding her. My stomach fluttered. Moments like these, were the entire reason I'd chosen to be a detective. I'd helped her. At the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

* * *

I knocked on Ruby's door, definitely not feeling self-conscious in the slightest. It wasn't like I was wearing a chest plate or anything. To be fair I didn't have long to be embarrassed. I'd only just changed in the corridor. You definitely don't want to be walking around Manhattan with a sword strapped to your leg, plastic or not.

The door opened and Ruby threw herself at me. It didn't matter to her that I was wearing armour. Nothing would get in the way of one of her hugs. She squeezed me tightly and I squeezed her right back.

We didn't say anything, but then we didn't need to. Words weren't needed with the truest friends. Silence spoke more than loud enough. After several long seconds, I pushed Ruby out to arm's length, trying to judge her condition. She only smiled up at me, her cheeks red and glowing with health—and probably alcohol, but I wasn't going to judge. My worry must have shown.

"I'm fine." She was. And she looked it. You wouldn't have known she'd only been discharged from hospital a few days. She'd bounced back to being her normal cheerful self with frightening speed.

It was her idea that we were here, and that I was wearing a breastplate. With everything that had happened, we'd missed last week's D&D session, and Ruby was determined not to be the cause of missing another. She'd promised everyone that she was alright and, looking at her outward appearance, I couldn't call her a liar.

I wasn't the only one dressed up. If I had to put a name to it, I would have said Ruby looked a fair bit like Little Red Riding Hood with a long crimson cloak, but Little Red Riding Hood wished she kicked that much ass.

"Anyone else here yet?" I asked as I shifted my cases of beers inside.

"Just Yang."

I kept the smile on my face and thankfully Ruby didn't notice the effort. She didn't need any antagonism. Ruby helped me with beers. She probably shouldn't have been doing any manual labour, but she dared me to tell her so. I was too much of a coward to.

"Alright Jaune?" Yang presented her glove-encased knuckles to me. You wouldn't have known there were any difficulties between us from her greeting. If Yang wanted to pretend for Ruby's sake that was fine by me. I bumped her fist.

"Sup Yang."

She was wearing black shorts and yellow tank top with matching gloves. In fact she looked much like she did before one of her MMA bouts. I don't need to say it, but she looked good. Really good. But then, when did Yang ever not look good? Perhaps she wasn't as in to roleplaying as the rest of us, but she put in the effort when required.

"I see you still have the sword." She gestured at my hip. "Are you compensating for something?"

Ruby laughed, which was exactly what Yang had intended. She really was a great sister. Even if I was the butt of the joke I laughed with her, and then she dissolved into a mess of half-tipsy giggles as we strung the joke along further.

Nora tried to bash the door down with her hammer when she arrived, and only Ren's intervention stopped her succeeding. Even Penny turned up bedecked with a number of swords that actually glowed. She chose not to address where she'd been when I'd needed her, though it was another thing I could let slide. Normally we would have started, but Ruby had invited Pyrrha as thanks, and I was entirely sure that Ruby hadn't let her say no either.

When Ruby answered the tentative knock on the door my jaw dropped open. So did Ren's. And Yang's. I'm not sure what Ruby had told Pyrrha, but she'd gone all out. It was as if she had stepped from the pages of Homer's Iliad. She could have been Hector, or Aeneas, or maybe even Achilles. She had everything, the spear, the shield, the greaves, a red sash, even a bronze collar. My own breastplate started to seem very inadequate.

"Pyrrha…" Ruby said breathlessly.

"What?" Pyrrha looked around at all of us. "You told me to dress up. I haven't overdone it have I?"

"You look awesome!" Pyrrha had to juggle her spear and shield to catch Ruby's flying hug. I'm not quite sure how she managed it, but I guess you don't become an Olympic athlete without picking up some skills.

"Oh… thank you." Pyrrha's cheeks approached the shade of her hair.

Ruby didn't notice. "Come in. Come in. Guys, this is Pyrrha."

"Hello everyone." Pyrrha gave a small wave. "And hello again Jaune."

"Hi." I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't begin to repay her for what she did for me. "It's uhh… good to see you again."

"Likewise." She trailed off.

Ruby cocked her head, looking at both of us, before she spared our blushes. "Now we're all here, let's get started then."

I stayed in the kitchen with Yang, Ren, Nora, and Penny while Ruby talked Pyrrha through the basics of rolling a character. It didn't take long—or much alcohol—for our social inhibition to lower. Soon enough Yang was back to her old self and ripping on me without mercy.

It was exactly what we'd all needed. Being together, drinking, chatting, laughing. Even Pyrrha became more comfortable even if she was an outsider to our little clique. Ruby sat her down right between us on the floor. I had no doubt seeing the grins all around, that soon we'd be adding another friend to our group.

Ren flicked his hood up, casting half his face into shadow. He looked around at all of us poignantly.

"Humanity has been pushed to the brink, scratching a living in the few cities and towns that hold back the darkness. All of you live in this terrifying land, but you do not cower in fear. Instead you decided to become warriors, hunters, heroes. So let us begin on the eve of your first day at Beacon Academy."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well that's it, the end of this story. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.


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